Hello All, I have a few new coins today and these two do not fit neatly into my other postings. So here they are. I enjoy learning more about the Seleucid Kings of Syria and try to pick up nice bronze coins when they are available on the cheap side of things. Here is an AE17 of Antiochus I Soter. I wish the control marks were a little clearer. There should be one on the left side of Apollo on the reverse, but the best I can make out might be a B shape that has sort of been smushed into the legend of his name on that side. The right side appears to be a delta combined with an epsilon so like an E wearing a hat. I'm by no means an expert in these, so I will take any insight. Antiochus I Soter, AE17, BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ AE17 Antiochus I Soter King: 281 - 261BC O: NO LEGEND; Diademed head, right. R: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ; Apollo on omphalos, seated left, examining arrow. Antioch Mint Exergue: B?, Monogram, left field; Delta/Epsilon Monogram, right field. HGC 9, 169; SNG Spaer 209; SC 351. JAZ Numismatics/John Zielinski Auction 120, Lot 14. 1/25/18 2/20/18 Up second is a nice little AE3 that I purchased for the staggering sum of $5. I bought a Probus from the same seller and with shipping from Europe I always try to add a cheap coin or two to bring down the unit cost of shipping. So, truthfully, I paid $8.50 when the shipping is added in. I do not think I did too bad. Plus, I did not have a 2 standards with SMANtheta either. Win/win. Constantine II, AE3, GLORIA EXERCITVS AE3 Constantine II Caesar: 317 - 337AD Augustus: 337 - 340AD Issued: 330 - 333, 335AD 17.5mm 3.40gr 6h O: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust, right. R: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Soldiers (2), standing on either side of 2 standards, each holding a spear and resting hand on a shield. Dot on banner. Exergue: SMANΘ Antioch Mint RIC VII Antioch 87, Θ; Sear (2000) 17343. Aorta: 615: B29, O7, R27, T73, M2. numis-kimel 282789745149 1/26/18 2/20/18 Feel free to add anything you like, but especially Seleucids, Constantine IIs and the odds and ends you've ended up with recently!
The dots are actually Phalera, which are sculpted discs that were awarded for various military exploits.
It's interesting that this Antioch mint goes with the theta in the exergue, while other "death workshops" prefer some combination of delta and epsilon. (Thanatos begins with theta, rendering it somewhat of an ominous officina designation.) I wonder what determines the 9th workshop designation. The whim or superstition of a given die engraver in a given officina, or is there some systematic approach?
Nice AE Captures @nicholasz219 ! I have very few AE Seleukids... Seleucid Seleukos I 312-280 BCE AE 20 Athena-Elephant Spaer 129 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 CONSTANTINE II RI Constantine II 337-340 CE AE3 GLORIA EXERCITVS Glory to the Army 2 Soldiers 2 Standards RI Constantine II 337-340 CE AE3 VOT X
These are one of the most ubiquitous and most recognized issues of the Seleucid empire. The control on the right is The left control mark is off the flan but the coin is still identifiable without it. There are no controls in the exergue. Your coin is SC 351.1a, the rest of your description is correct.