Seleukid Coins

Seleukos I

Silver coin  •  Bronze coins  •  References

Identification Number SE1-AR-01
Mint:	Babylon1
Period:	c. 311 - c. 300 BC2
Denomination:	AR Obol
Weight:	0.56 g
Diameter:	8 - 9 mm
Obverse:	Head of Herakles right in lion skin headdress; dotted border
Reverse:	Club, quiver, and bow upright; monogram in wreath in left field and ‘Η’ in right field
Die Position:	0º
References:	Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 85; Classical Numismatic Group, Mail Bid Sale 72 (June 14, 2006), Lot 883 (same dies)
Notes:	(1) The Makedonian kingdom under king Archelaus and his successors through Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, employed a silver stater of five drachms. The obol therefore represents one-sixth of a drachm and one-thirties of a stater. See Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 84 and 85 (Vol. 1, p. 42).
	(2) This anepigraphic design with the head of Herakles on the obverse and with the club, quiver and bow on the reverse was employed on three silver denominations: drachm (i.e., 1/5 of a stater) – Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 84; see also Classical Numismatic Group, Triton VII (January 12, 2004), Lot 337, and Triton IX (January 10, 2006), Lot 1000 obol (i.e., 1/30 of a stater) – Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 85 hemiobol (i.e., 1/60 of a stater) – see Classical Numismatic Group, Mail Bid Sale 72 (June 14, 2006), Lot 884; Mail Bid Sale 81 (May 20, 2009), Lot 574, and also Mail Bid Sale 69 (June 5, 2005), Lot 639 (probably wrongly attributed as a Samarian imitation of Alexander the Great type)

Identification Number SE1-AE-01
Mint:	Antioch on the Orontes3 or Apameia on the Axios4
Period:	late 280s BC (?)
Denomination:	AE Double Unit
Weight:	6.78 g
Diameter:	18 - 19 mm
Obverse:	Figure of an older bearded man with a headgear, nude to waist, seated left on rock, holding ankus5 in extended right hand and resting left hand behind him; dotted border
Reverse:	‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕ[ΩΣ]’ above, ‘[ΣΕ]ΛΕΥΚΟΥ’ below (“of King Seleukos”); horned head of elephant right, with trunk uplifted; control marks, if any, off flan;6 dotted border
Die Position:	180º
References:	Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 25; Houghton, CSE, 12; Hunterian Coll. III, p. 9, No. 31; Newell, WSM, 929; SNG Spaer, 32; Collection of the American Numismatic Society, Accession No. 1944.100.75023; Münzen & Medaillen GmbH, Auction 17 (October 4, 2005), Lot 1011 (same obverse die); Ancient Imports (Marc Breitsprecher); Freeman & Sear, stock Nos. G7354, G7355 and G7356; Tom Vossen, stock No. 6151
Note:	As it is visible on this well-preserved specimen, the enigmatic male figure on the obverse is bearded (see also the specimen sold by Münzen & Medaillen GmbH in Auction 17, October 2005, as Lot 1011) and wearing a headgear, very probably a turban. The object which the figure holds is nearly certainly an elephant goad used by elephant handlers.
	The long beard completely excludes a representation of Apollo, as the figure was described by MacDonald in Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection, Vol. 3, p. 9, No. 31.7 Newell, The Coinage of the Western Seleucid Mints from Seleucus I to Antiochus III, p. 102, suggests an idealized representation of Seleukos I as the ελεφανταρχης, the master of elephants, in allusion to his mighty corps of war elephants.8 According to Newell, this type was issued at the very end of Seleukos I’s reign after his victory over Lysimachos at Korupedion in 281 BC. However, the beard, the turban and the unroyal appearance of the figure exclude a representation of Seleukos I himself.
	Panagiotis Iossif and Catharine Lorber published a study devoted to this enigmatic issue: The Elephantarches Bronze of Seleucos I Nikator (Syria 87).9 According to their conclusions based on a thorough and deep analysis, the coin portrays Dionysos as the conqueror of India and the patron of the Seleukid elephant corps. The turban is probably an attempt to express the oriental aspect of Dionysos and it is consistent with the inventiveness of Seleukos’ iconography generally. The elephant goad links the figure to India, which for the Greeks was above all the land of elephants. It also connects the obverse scene with the heroized or divine elephant on the reverse (the horns, adapted from the Mesopotamian tradition, are symbols of supernatural power and divinity for both human beings and animals).
	These coins probably commemorated a great military victory achieved by means of elephants, and under the protection of the patron god of elephants, Dionysos. According to Panagiotis Iossif and Catharine Lorber, ibid, p. 157, they might celebrate either Seleukos I’s victory at Ipsos (301 BC) or at Korupedion (281 BC). This means that these coins either were among the earlier coin issues of Syria (Seleukos I occupied the region and founded his cities there after his the victory at Ipsos) or they were issued near the end of Seleukos’ reign (as was suggested by Newell, ibid, p. 102). The latter date is adopted by Houghton and Lorber, SC I (Vol. I, p. 22).
	The combination of Dionysos and the elephant head supports the reattribution to Apameia, the site of the Seleukid elephant stables and home to an important cult of Dionysos (perhaps this rare special issue was intended for the soldiers of the elephant corps). However, the letter Ξ in the exergue (see footnote 6) connects this issue with other bronze issues of Antioch. It may signify that this commemorative bronze emission was produced at Apameia under the supervision of a moneyer from Antioch. Alternatively, it may indicate that Antioch produced this small special emission specifically for distribution in the military district of Apameia. See Panagiotis Iossif and Catharine Lorber, ibid, pp. 157-158, for a detailed analysis.

Identification Number SE1-AE-02
Mint:	Sardis10
Period:	282 - 281 BC11
Denomination:	AE Half Unit
Weight:	2.42 g
Diameter:	13 - 14 mm
Obverse:	Winged head of Medusa right; dotted border
Reverse:	‘ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ]’ above, ‘ΣΕΛΕΥΚ[ΟΥ]’ below (“of King Seleukos”); bull butting right; ‘ΣΙ’ between bull’s hind legs
Die Position:	c. -15º
References:	Houghton and Lorber, SC I, 6.1; Newell, WSM, 1357; SNG Spaer, 67; BMC 4, p. 7, No. 65

¹ Originally one of the most famous cities of antiquity and the capital of southern Mesopotamia (Babylonia). Its importance was reduced by the building of Seleukeia on the Tigris, the eastern capital of the Seleukid Empire.

² See Houghton and Lorber, SC I, p. 40.

³ Antioch was founded about 300 BC by Seleukos I Nikator, the founder of the Seleukid Dynasty, and it became the principal capital of the Seleukid Empire. The city was named after a family name Antiochos, passed from his father to his son (Antiochos I Soter). There were a number of other cities by the same name and this Antioch was known as Antioch on the Orontes (i.e. the Orontes River, along which it was located).

⁴ It is also common to refer to this city as Apameia on the Orontes. However, the city is called Apameia of Syria or simply Apameia in the ancient written sources, and Apameia or Apameia on the Axios (ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΩΙ ΑΞΙΩΙ) on quasi-municipal and municipal coins. Axios was the Makedonian name given to the Orontes River by the Greco-Macedonian settlers at Apameia. See Cohen, The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa, p. 96 and n. 12 on pp. 99-100.

⁵ The ankus, or ancus, is an elephant goad used by elephant riders and trainers. It consists of a metal head attached to a handle. The head consists of two pointed tips, with one tip curving away from a straight tip.

⁶ Houghton’s specimen (Houghton, CSE, 12), one specimen cited by Newell (WSM, 929 η, Plate XVII, 25) and one specimen offered by Freeman & Sear have the letter Ξ in the exergue.

⁷ MacDonald’s description of the obverse: Apollo, naked to waist, holding arrow in extended r., and leaning with l. on rock on which he is seated l.

⁸ Plutarch, Demetrius 25: ... whereas Demetrius (Demetrios Poliorketes) used to ridicule those who gave the name of king to any except himself and his father (Antigonos Monopthalmos); and in his entertainments was well pleased when his followers, after drinking to him and his father as kings, went on to drink the healths of Seleucus (Seleukos I), with the title of Master of the Elephants; of Ptolemy (Ptolemy I), by the name of High Admiral; of Lysimachus, with the addition of Treasurer; and of Agathocles, with the style of Governor of the Island of Sicily.

⁹ My warmest thanks to Panagiotis Iossif and Catharine Lorber for informing me about their research.

¹⁰ The capital of ancient Lydia (a historic region of western Asia Minor).

¹¹ Seleukos I captured Sardis at the beginning of his campaign against Lysimachos in 282 BC and he died in August or September 281 BC (see the page devoted to Seleulos I’s genealogy and biography).

References:

Cohen, Getzel M.: The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles / California - London / England, 2006.

Gardner, Percy: Catalogue of the Greek coins in the British Museum, Volume 4: The Seleucid Kings of Syria. London, 1878 (reprint, Arnaldo Forni, Bologna, 1963). (abbr. BMC 4)

Houghton, Arthur: Coins of the Seleucid Empire from the Collection of Arthur Houghton. The American Numismatic Society, New York, 1983. (abbr. CSE)

Houghton, Arthur; Lorber, Catharine: Seleucid Coins, A Comprehensive Catalogue. Part I, Volumes 1 and 2. The American Numismatic Society, New York, in association with Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Lancaster/London, 2002. (abbr. SC I)

Houghton, Arthur; Spaer, Arnold (with the assistance of Catharine Lorber): Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum. Israel I. The Arnold Spaer Collection of Seleucid Coins. Italo Vecchi Ltd., London, 1998. (abbr. SNG Spaer)

Iossif, Panagiotis; Lorber, Catharine: The Elephantarches Bronze of Seleucos I Nikator. Syria 87 (2010), pp. 147-164.

MacDonald, George: Catalogue of Greek Coins in the Hunterian Collection, University of Glasgow. Volume 3. Further Asia, Northern Africa, Western Europe. Elibron Classics, Adamant Media Corporation, 2003. Replica edition of the edition published by James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow, 1905. (abbr. Hunterian Coll. III)

Newell, Edward T.: The Coinage of the Western Seleucid Mints from Seleucus I to Antiochus III. Numismatic Studies No. 4. The American Numismatic Society, New York, 1977 (reprint of the 1941 original edition with a summary of recent scholarship by Otto Mørkholm). (abbr. WSM)

Plutarch: Demetrius. Translated by John Dryden. (4Literature.net, http://www.4literature.net/Plutarch/Demetrius)