I Cant Resist a Seleukid Tet

Besides collecting medieval coins one of my other areas of interest is coins of Seleukos I Nikator, founder of the Seleukid Empire. While I still have a few coins of Seleukos that I would like to acquire, I recently decided to start getting coins of his successors. My latest Seleukid acquisition is a tetradrachm of Antiochus II Theos. It was in the most recent HJB Buy or Bid sale but went unsold. I was able to pick it up in their after-sale below the listed reserve.
Antiochus II Theos AR Tetradracm 261-246 BC Seleucia on the Tigris mint.
29mm 17.05g
Obv: diademed head of Antiochus right.
Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTI−OXOY, Apollo seated left on omphalos, examining arrow with right, resting left hand on grounded bow, monogram outer left, monogram outer right.
Houghton-Lorber 587

Antiochus II, much like his father, was unable to keep the empire together. During his reign the satraps of Bactria and Parthia would revolt against Seleukid rule and both regions would go on to become independent kingdoms. He also had to contend with another conflict with Ptolemaic Egypt; the second Syrian War. To make peace with Ptolemy II he set aside his first wife, Laodice, and married Ptolemy's daughter Berenice. Laodice, in a desire to see her son take the throne of the empire, supposedly poisoned Antiochus II in 246 BC. She then had Berenice and Berenice's son with Antiochus II murdered. Her actions would start the third Syrian War as Berenice's brother Ptolemy III declared war against Laodice and her son.

Please post any Seleukid coins or recent acquisitions.

 

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That's a great one, nice portrait!
Here is Antiochus Hierax also from HJB. He unsuccessfully tried to usurp the throne from his brother Seleucus II.

Antiochus Hierax
Mint: Alexandria Troas
AR Tetradrachm
242 to 227 BC
Obvs: Diademed head of Antiochus Hierax with prominant cheekbone.
Revs: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r., ANTIOXOY on l., partially nude, with slight drapery on thigh, Apollo seated l. on omphalos, testing arrow and resting l. hand on grounded bow that has pellets that symbolize the handle. Horse symbol in exergue and two control monograms in left field.
29x30mm, 16.35g

 

Really nice, I like the portrait.

 

Great coin the toning gives it fantastic eye appeal.

 

Nice, My latest Seleukid coin..

Alexander Balas Tetradrachm
From the Alexander Ritter von Petrowicz + W.F Stoecklin Collection, Ex Cahn 65 1929, Ex Cahn 60 1928, Ex Naville X 1925.

Also My Alexander Tetradrachm is from the reign of Seleucus Nikator in Babelon..

 

Great coins all! I have a couple of seleucid serrates but nothing worth posting.

 

Here's Antiochus I with Apollo on reverse. SNGIs 292.

 

I like this coin from Seleukos the first, it clearly has the portrait of Seleukos , and not of Herculus / Alexander the Great.



The ex general of Alexander the Great was as strong as a bull , he singlehanded held a unwilling bull who didn't wanted to be sacrified:



One of Seleukos I successors, Antiochos VII

 

Great Tet @TheRed ! Looks like you are going on a fun journing chasing after the Seleukids! You scare me... I have decided to stick with the Diodachi, cuz I enjoyed the History of Makedon's rise and those Generals around Philip II and Alexander III. I just CAN"T go down the rabbithole of all their descendants... I.JUST.CANNOT...
Yours is a really cool, well-centered, and expressive Tet! It is exactly the type wear and look I would chase...

My Seleukids:

I got this one, cuz, well an Elephant Quadriga would be REALLY cool to see!

Seleukid Seleukos I 312-280 BCE AR Tet 14.46g Seleucia on Tigris. Zeus - Athena driving a quadriga of 4 horned elephants SC 130


Seleukid Seleukos I 312-280 BCE AE 20 Athena-Elephant Spaer 129

I got this one, well, cuz... I did not have a bottlecap. Got it now...


Seleukid Demetrios I Soter 162-150 BCE AE 17 serrate 16.8mm 3.9g Antioch on Orontes mint Horse Hd L - Elephant Hd R- SC 1646 SNG Spaer 1299-1304

 

I love Seleucid tets! Wish I had more but here are mine:


Seleucid Kingdom, Demetrios I Soter, 162-150 BC
AR tetradrachm, 16g, 32mm; Antioch mint, 162-155 BC
Obv.: Diademed head of Demetrios I right within wreath.
Rev.: Tyche, holding scepter and cornucopia, seated left on throne supported by tritonesses right, monogram to outer left. In two vertical lines, BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY (King Demetrios)


Antiochus VII Euergetes, Seleucid Kingdom, BC 138-129
AR, tetradrachm, 16.59g, 30mm; 12h; Antioch
Obv.: Diademed head of Antiochus VII right
Rev.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EVEPΓETOY; Athena Nikephoros standing left; to outer left, monogram above A; all within wreath

 

the OP and others are very nice coins, but an example is still an example.. i bought this originally just for the lyre on the reverse, but now i also have a coin of Antiochus ll Theos... while the obverse leaves a little to be desired(can't hardly make heads or tail from it ) the reverse is great bronze Apollo/lyre coin of Antiochus ll Theos.

 

..sure ya can

 

Excellent!!

 

I always thought mine was issued under Antiochos I, but now I'm thinking it may be like yours, issued under Ant II... but the portrait is Ant I, right?

 

I won't pass up an opportunity to display this one again:


Cleopatra Thea, Queen of Syria, with son Antiochus VIII
Seleucid AR tetradrachm, 15.85 gm, 27 mm
Antioch mint, 125-121 BC
Obv: Jugate busts, r.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, Zeus Nikephoros seated l., holding lotus-tipped scepter; IE outer left, A under throne
Refs: SNG Spaer 2437; c.f. Sear 7135
Notes: Ex-Henry Clay Lindgren. An obverse die match to an example sold in Baldwin's, Dmitry Markov and M&M Numismatics New York Sale IX, January 13, 2005.

 

Antiochus II Seleucia on the Tigris
SC 587.1a
Obvs: Diademed head of Antiochus I

 

Struck in Amphipolis circa 320 - 317 BC, this Tet has a dolphin on left of reverse.
Price 133.

 

Thanks for the coin praise guys. I love all the Seleukid coins that have been posted and would gladly add them to my collection.

@ancient coin hunter please post them, the serrates are wonderful coins.

You're right @Alegandron it's a rabbit hole I probably shouldn't go down. There are a few rulers that are must gets, like Hierax, Antiochus III, IV, and VII. The rest might be targets of opportunity.

 

David@PCC is correct, it is attributed as Antiochos II. Here is the attribution from their book with the control marks listed.

 

Thanks, guys! Will update my database.