I have a weakness for these Seleukid usurpers, and the whole civil war chaos of the Seleukid empire in general. Alexander I Balas, one of the usurpers, has especially some nice and interesting coin, with quite some variety. However, Alexander II Zabinas also managed to usurp the throne and from him I got a tetradrachm with a really nice portrait in my opinion. His coin portraits shows him with a sweet, almost girlish face quite distinct from that of other Seleukid rulers. Alexander II Zabinas AR Tetradrachm (128 B.C. - 122 B.C.). Antioch mint. Obverse: Diademed head of Zabinas right Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOV , Zeus seated left, holding Nike and scepter; monogram to outer left, Σ below throne. 16.12g; 28mm What I really noticed is that most of these usurpers all gained the throne with support of the Ptolemaic Empire. Short history about this usurper: Although possessing no royal blood, Alexander II Zabinas successfully usurped the Seleucid throne with the aid of the Egyptian king Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Probably the son of an Egyptian merchant, he claimed at different times to be the son of Alexander I Balas (150-145 BC) or the adoptive son of the last really capable Seleukid ruler, Antiochus VII Sidetes, who died on campaign against the Parthians in 129 BC. After Sidetes' death, his brother Demetrios II briefly resumed the Seleukid throne after more than a decade spent in Parthian captivity, but quickly became embroiled in an Egyptian civil war between Ptolemy VIII and his sister, Cleopatra II. For a couple of years, Alexander ruled Antioch and it's surroundings, where he was beloved for his generosity with Ptolemy VIII's money. However, most of the Seleukid empire backed a regime headed by the ferocious queen Cleopatra Thea and her son Antiochos VIII Grypos ("hook-nosed"). An end to the Egyptian civil war in 125 BC caused Ptolemy VIII to cut off his support to Alexander. Alexander fled to his capital Antioch and began plundering the treasures of its temples. He was said to have joked, while melting down a golden statue of Nike previously located in the hand of an idol of Zeus, that "Zeus lends me victory". Since the gold was needed to pay his troops, this action was accepted by the citizens of Antioch. However, a few days later, his men were discovered in the act of removing a great golden statue of Zeus himself and in 123 BC the people of Antioch revolted and ejected him from the city. He was soon captured by a band of robbers and handed over to Cleopatra Thea, who executed him early in 122 BC. Post your Seleukid and other Greek usurpers!
I'll offer Tryphon who I understand to have been the longest lasting usurper and the only one who ruled the entire empire. AE18 - 142-138 BC. Diademed head right / Macedonian cavalry helmet with ibex horn
Tetradrachma of his Predecessor Antiochos VII (138-129) , husband of Cleopatra. Together they had a son Antiochos VIII (121-96 BC) who killed his own mother.
Barclay Head called Alexander Balas a “usurper who professed to be the son of Antiochus IV.” Wikipedia says “a native of Smyrna of humble origin.” A commentator on the old SELEUKIDS mailing list pointed out that although Polybius and Appian make these claims, Balas married Cleopatra Thea and it is unlikely Ptolemy VI would have let a princess marry a commoner. My coin does not have a portrait: SELEUKID EMPIRE. Alexander I Balas. 152-145 BC. Æ (13mm, 2.13 g, 12h). Antioch on the Orontes mint. Struck circa 150-146 BC. Obv: Aegis with gorgoneion Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ]; Pegasos leaping right; monogram below. Refs: SC 1792.2b; HGC 9, 938 ex-Classical Numismatic Group, e-auction 426, August 2018, lot 228 Unfortunately the name ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ is missing on my example. The first published example of this type was by Pellerin in 1762. I was never able to figure out how he deduced the coin was Seleukid. It is now attributed to Antioch. No clue why; Newell did not include it in his book on Antioch. Pegasos was mythologically the “child” of Medusa – born from her neck – and Alexander Balas claimed to be the child of Antiochos IV, a king who used the aegis as a coin type. It makes sense to strike types related to the types of the claimed father. Balas struck no other coins with Pegasos or the aegis, however. Houghton and Lorber note that thunderbolt iconography is prominent in Alexander Balas’ coinage and Athena is frequently represented on his bronze. The aegis could represent Athena, or thunder (or both I suppose!)
Since it is not exclusively Seleukid usurpers, a couple favorite Greek usurpers have got to be Pyrrhus and Agathocles!! Pyrrhus Agathocles
That is a nice portrait and easily recognizable as Zabinas. Here are a few more. You will notice I am missing the rare ones in silver or have none at all. I still need 3 more Seleucid usurpers to complete them all. Alexander I Antioch Mint AR Tetradrachm 147 to 146 BC Obvs: Diademed head of Alexander right within dotted border. Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY ΘEoΠATOPoΣ EYEPГETOY, Zeus on throne holding staff and crowning Victory. A monogram left, date below. 26x28mm, 15.50g SC 1784.7a Alexander II Mint: Antioch AR Drachm 128 to 122 BC Obvs: Diademed head right, dotted border. Revs: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, Two filleted cornuacopiae. ΞΣ to left 15mm, 3.40g SC 2223c Achaios Mint: Sardes 220 to 214 BC Obvs: Laureate head of Apollo right. Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AXAIOY, Eagle standing right, palm branch over shoulder. M right. AE 17x19mm, 6.00g Ref: cf. SC 955.2 Note: Unpublished with missing control in outer left. 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 Ref: Sear GCV 6919, SC 877.2 Tryphon, Diodotus Mint: Antioch 140/139 BC Obvs: Head of Tryphon right diademed. Revs: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ TPYФΩNOΣ AYTOKPATOPOΣ, Spiked Macedonian helmet. * to left AE 18mm, 5.1g SC 2034.2e
Not quite a year ago I bid on an Alexander II Zabinas tetradrachm which was in a Heritage Auction (in April?) I remember bidding $3000 on it and thinking i would feel like an idiot if I got it at that price. I didn't. I think it went for at least $7000 maybe even $9000 Oh well to make a long story short I got another from the CNG Triton XXII auction. At least this one doesn't make me cringe when I think of what I had to pay to get it
The first coin represents Alexander Balas with Apollo on reverse. The second image shows a couple of coins struck under the Tryphon. The third is a silver Tet by Zabinas.
Very nice coin, I did not know he issued such coins without his own portrait on it. The first thing I would think off is a municipal issue but it is lacking the name of Antioch on the coin. Alexander Balas really issued some interesting coins, which is surprising, as he is a usurper. I think this all have to do that he wanted to "win-over" the population of the cities. My favorite bronze of Alexander Balas would still be this one: Alexander I Balas Æ Bronze. Cyrrhus mint (149/8 B.C.) Obverse: Diademed head of Alexander I Balas right. Reverse: KYPPHΣΤΩN; Zeus standing facing, head left, holding filleted wreath, at his feet an owl; ΔΞP (year 164, 149/8 B.C.) in left field, monogram below. 21mm; 6.41g Great set of usurpers, and lovely tetradrachm of Alexander Balas and Antiochos Hierax. I still need to get quite some coins from these usurpers. I think a bronze coin of Tryphon will be the easiest to get. A drachm of Tryphon would be really nice, but I understand when you say that you are missing the rare silver types. The most interesting type I would love the get is the so called "Sandan" type, but extremely rare and pricey. Which 3 usurpers are you missing? Timarchos, Andragoras and Diodotus I? No idea if you can really count Andragoras and Diodotus as usurpers. I don't know how you paid for this one, but it is an excellent coin, both obverse and reverse.
The ones I am missing are Timarchos, Molon, and the son of Antiochus VII. Molon I will probably never own as it is known from 1 example typically.
I never knew Molon made any coin, do you mean this example? Which son of Antiochos VII do you mean by the way? Antiochos IX? I am not aware he was an usurper.
Nice .. Here is my Alexander Balas tetradrachm.. Alexander Balas. Tetradrachm. Antioch Mint. Struck 150/149 BC. SC 1781.4 Ex Cahn 65 1929, Ex Cahn 60 1928, Ex Naville X 1925 and From the Petrowicz + Stoecklin Collections.
There is also a silver coin in his name. There still is debate about it but the coins in question show a boy they believe is too young to be Antiochus VIII and is believed that Kleopatra tried to elevate an unnamed Antiochus (her son from Antiochus VII) to king instead of Antiochus VIII or possibly Seleucus V. He would have died at a very young age.
