An Unpublished Overstrike of Etenna on a Bronze of Antiochos III from Tyre

An Unpublished Overstrike of Etenna on a Bronze of Antiochos III from Tyre

The Monolith Collection​

Abstract:

This intriguing bronze of Etenna in Pisidia, dated stylistically to the 1st century BC, was overstruck onto a bronze of Antiochos III from the Tyre mint (Figure 1). The undertype portrait on the obverse is clearly visible beneath the advancing nymph, especially in the region of the diadem and facial outline. On the reverse, portions of the palm tree and traces of the royal legend are discernible beneath the E–T ethnic and the sickle-shaped implement. This specimen provides evidence for the continued circulation of Seleucid bronzes in southern Anatolia more than a century after their issue and contributes to the study of bronze recycling practices in Pisidia.

Figure 1
(Overstrike Specimen):

Province, City: Pisidia, Etenna
Denomination: AE 19
Mint: Etenna (1st century BC)
Size: 19.0 mm
Weight: 3.97 g

Obverse:
(Overtype) Nymph advancing right, entwined by serpent, amphora to left
(Undertype - traces) Antiochos III - Diademed head right

Reverse:
(Overtype) E - T, on either side of sickle-shaped knife
(Undertype - traces) Antiochos III - BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY, palm tree with dates

References:
Unpublished
(Overtype) SNG von Aulock 5019; SNG France 3, 1537
(Undertype) Antiochos III - SC 1081; HGC 9, 563

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Technical Observations:

The host flan does not appear to have been fully flattened prior to restriking. Significant relief from the Seleucid portrait remains, suggesting a cold overstrike or only minimal reheating. Metal flow around the highest points of the original portrait indicates that the Etenna dies were applied directly to the extant coin with limited surface preparation. Strike alignment suggests no deliberate orientation between host and overtype dies. The overstrike is sufficiently strong to establish the civic type clearly, yet insufficient to erase the undertype completely.​

Discussion:

Bronze coins of Antiochos III from the Tyre mint were struck in large quantities following the Seleucid recovery of Coele-Syria in 198 BC (Figure 2). Their distribution extended through Cilicia and into southern Anatolia. The overstruck specimen demonstrates that such bronzes remained in circulation well into the 1st century BC.
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Figure 2
(Antiochos III Base Coin Specimen):

Province, City: Lydia, Sardes - Seleucia, Antiochos III, Seleucid King
Denomination: AE 20
Mint: Tyre (198 - 187 BC)
Size: 20.50 mm
Weight: 3.84 g

Obverse:
Diademed head right​

Reverse:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY
Palm tree with dates

References:
SC 1081; HGC 9, 563
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Overstriking of earlier Hellenistic bronzes by inland Anatolian cities is a documented phenomenon, typically interpreted as evidence of localized bronze shortages and pragmatic recycling. The choice of a Seleucid royal bronze as host is unsurprising given both their abundance and their suitable weight standard for civic bronze denominations.

Etenna, a Pisidian city of modest scale, issued bronze coinage in the late Hellenistic period featuring the advancing nymph type and the distinctive sickle-shaped implement (Figure 3). The present example suggests that at least part of this emission was produced by restriking circulating bronzes rather than by casting new flans.
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Figure 3
(Etenna Restrike Coin Specimen):

Province, City: Pisidia, Etenna
Denomination: AE 19
Mint: Etenna (1st century BC)
Size: 19.0 mm
Weight: 3.78 g

Obverse:
Nymph advancing right, entwined by serpent, amphora to left

Reverse:
E - T, on either side of sickle-shaped knife

References:
SNG von Aulock 5019; SNG France 3, 1537

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The survival of a clearly identifiable Antiochos III undertype is noteworthy. Published examples of Etenna bronzes do not commonly record host coins in detail, and no explicit overstrike on SC 1081 has been noted in standard references. This specimen therefore adds to the corpus of documented Seleucid-to-Pisidian overstrikes and provides further evidence for the longevity of Seleucid bronze circulation in southern Asia Minor (Figures 4-5).

Figure 4
(Map of Pisidia, Etenna):



Figure 5
(Map of Coins Travel Route):

Conclusion:

This coin represents an unpublished overstrike of Etenna on a bronze of Antiochos III from Tyre . The clarity of the undertype allows secure identification of the mint and ruler. The specimen contributes to our understanding of:

1. The extended circulation life of Seleucid bronze coinage.
2. Bronze recycling practices in 1st-century BC Pisidia.
3. The minting procedures employed by Etenna.​

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The undertype on the first coin is from Side in Pamphylia, not a Seleukid bronze.



Barry Murphy

 

Just found this match to my specimen which shows the base coin portraits a lot better. Thanks for the information, I will update my article soon. I was using AI photo identification to help identify the base coin; needless to say it was off.