Featured Bucephalus on Seleucid Tetradrachms and Drachms

So if you don't know Bucephalus was Alexander the Great's famous horse that he rode into battle with. Today, I will be sharing four extremely rare Tetradrachms and Drachms struck by Seleukos I Nikator and Antiochos I Soter that feature this famed horse. I hope you enjoy, and if any of you have these coins PLEASE post them!

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With an extremely low survival rate, these virtually unknown Tetradrachms struck by Seleukos feature a magnificent portrait of a horse on the obverse and an elephant on the reverse. You should know that this issue is one of the rarest Seleucid Tetradrachms with only a few dies recorded and only 10 examples left in existence.

The reverse reads King Selekou (BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY). Monograms such as HΡ and ΣI can be shown in between the elephant’s legs. A few examples feature no monograms, but a bee above the elephant on the reverse. Otherwise, most varieties for this type remain unpublished.

The coins were struck in Pergamon around 281 BC after Seleukos’ campaign against Chandragupta. Bucephalus, the horse of Alexander the Great, might be the horse portrayed on this type. Interestingly enough, this coin may be the only accurate depiction of Alexander’s horse from Seleukos: who probably saw Bucephalus frequently. The horse shows horns which deifies the creature and states heroism—which is why the horse is regarded as Bucephalus.

A record price of $300,000 was reached for an example of this type. Many examples have the possibility of reaching higher than that.


Seleukos I Nikator
Bridled head of horned horse (Bucephalus?) facing to right, its mouth open Elephant walking to right, an anchor below (281 BC)
*Extremely Rare


This next coin was struck by Nikator once more later in his reign joint with Antiochos. It features Alexander and Bucephalus in one reverse!!!


The most exciting Tetradrachm struck by Nikator would be this extremely rare piece struck in 295 BC. There are other denominations struck with this design, but there are only four known Tetradrachms of this type. Because of this coins rarity, it goes for tens of thousands of dollars when one pops up on the market. The picture below is the newest example discovered, making it the fourth coin in existence.

The history of this type is fascinating. There is much debate on who is portrayed on the reverse. Most would agree with Alexander the Great, because it makes the most sense. On the coin we can see the saddle cloth on the horse is made up of animal skin—possibly of a panther, which would be a dead giveaway. Also, the rider and the horse are horned, which deifies them. However, Hughton and Stewart gave compelling arguments on why the coin features not Alexander: but Seleukos himself. They suggest that the horse is not Bucephalus, but the swift horse that carried Seleukos from Babylon in 315 BC. The horns could now mean something else. The horns could be there so the person looking at the coin knows that it is Seleukos riding on the coin and not an anonymous hero. With evidence from both sides it all comes up to the interpreters opinion. There is neither a right or a wrong answer.


Seleukos I Nikator
Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin
Alexander the Great, wearing helmet adorned with bull’s ear and horns, panther skin on shoulders, riding Bucephalus right; across lower field, from left to right, ΣΩ and two monograms centered
(295 BC)
*Extremely Rare


In fact, this next is the most common type--but that isn't saying much.
At this point, it isn’t surprising that Bucephalus is being portrayed on a Seleucid coin again. This extremely rare issue struck by Antiochos in 280 BC may commemorate an unknown victory or accomplishment. Or it could simply be a design celebrating Alexander the Great.

The obverse shows the classic diademed portrait of Antiochos. The reverse shows the horned and bridled portrait of a horse, presumable Bucephalus. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY is seen on the reverse and identification monograms Δ, Λ, and ΔI are shown to the right and below the horse. This type is not published in most guides, and is rarely seen on the market. An estimate of less than 30 examples is accepted to be the survival of this issue.
Also, these coins were most likely struck at the Ai Khanoum mint or the Baktra mint.


Antiochos I Soter Diademed head of Antiochos I right
Horned and bridled horse head right with horn-like forelock; before neck, Δ in circle (281-261 BC)
*Rare

Some may ignore this type, because little is known about it. But this last Drachm was struck back in Nikator's reign around 290 BC. It features the obverse portrait of Bucephalus (or to make numismatists happy: horned and bridled horse--but we all know it's Bucephalus) and the reverse the famous Seleucid anchor. So looking at these types, I've narrowed the mints down to Areia, Margiana, or Baktria. There is no way these were struck in Ai Khanoum or Babylon because the flans are way too rounded. They could also have been struck at the Tigris mint, but give me your input on those.


Seleukos I
Horned and bridled head of horse right
Seleucid anchor
(290 BCE)
*rare

Hope you guys enjoyed this thread. Please post your Seleucid Tetradrachms. I'll start by posting my Antiochos VII Tetradrachm.

 

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The horned horse is commonly believed to be that of Seleucus, not Alexander. My only type of these

Antiochus I
Mint: Ai Khanoum
AR Hemidrachm
281 to 261 BC
Obvs: Diademed head of Antiochus I right with elderly features. Dotted border.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ on left ANTIOXOY in exergue, horned and bridled horse head right with flame like forelock. Δ in circle upper right before horse's forehead.
12mm, 2.09g
Ref: cf. SC 433.1; HGC 9, --
Note: Unpublished with control before horse's forehead.

 

Yes, that is what I said in the post. Seleukos struck three horse varieties, and antiochos struck one. They were to commemorate Bucephalus.

 

My dog Bucephalus Alexandria 30+ years ago...

(Bucy). On a cason at Stones River Battlefield.

This is when I lived about 5 miles from the battlefield.

 

Seleukos I Nikator (312 - 281 B.C.) Æ, denomination B. Apamea on the Orontes mint. Struck circa 300-281 BC.
Obverse: Elephant walking right.
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY (“of King Seleukos”). Horse's head left; anchor below. Countermark: head of Apollo (unpublished)
Reference: SC 35; HGC 9, 79.
8.47g; 23mm

I think David is trying to say that the horned horse is not struck to commemorate Bucephalus but to commemorate the horse of Seleukos himself.

 

Yes. Why would Seleucus care about Alexander's horse. He only needs to establish a relationship in order to lay claim to the throne which he did years before.

 

I'd like to think Seleucus decided to put Bucephalus on his tetradrachms, but it is more likely that the horse depicted was the one that swiftly carried Seleucus away from Babylon in 315. Side note, Seleucus first comes into the texts during Alexander's Indian campaign so it is certainly possible that he encountered Bucephalus.

 

Antiochos VIII Epiphanes Grypos AR Tetradrachm (16.48 gm, 12h. 32mm) Sidon, SE 193 = 120-19 BC. Obv: Diademed head of Antiochos right within fillet border. Rev: ΒAΣΙΛEΩΣ ΑNTIOXOY EΠIΦANOYΣ, Zeus Ouranios, naked, standing facing, head to left, holding star in outstretched hand and long scepter, ΣΙ ΙΕΡ above ΑΣ, and monogram in left field, ΓΡΡ in exergue (first P retrograde); all within laurel wreath border. Houghton/Lorber, SC 2298.1.

 

Does this count?

Alexander III, the Great; 336-323 B.C. AR tetradrachm (27mm; 17.03 gm; 5h). Struck circa 311-295 BC under Seleukos I, Nikator. 312-281 BC. Obv: Hd. of Herakles r. wearing lion’s skin headdress. Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to r., ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ in ex. Zeus std. l. on throne holding eagle in r. hand, scepter in his l. To left, anchor and monogram, and monogram below throne.. SNG Spaer __; CSE__; Ex Slocum coll.; Ex Qazvin Hoard 8. Price 3436 (Marathos). SC 67.3a, Uncertain Mint 6A.

 

Bucephalus was a legend! Why would kings and regions strike Alexanders coin design over 200 years after he died. Same thing..just my opinion and my own research. Don't take any of the info literally. lol

 

Thats a very nice coin. Beautiful toning.

 

Bucephala is also the genus of a beautiful family of ducks, Common and Barrow's Goldeneye, and Bufflehead.

 

That you for the input

 

Actually they did that for an economical perspective rather than a symbolic one. Alexanders coins were wide spread and therefore a trusted currency. Hunderd years after his death his coins were still circulating, so it would make sense for the civic cities to continue the design of Alexander. The symbolism of the Makedonian royal house behind those coins were already gone.

 

@Pavlos
It’s crazy to think that the Alexander Tetradrachm design was used in one form or another for nearly 250 years. To put that into perspective, on July 4 2020 the USA will be 244 years old!!!!

 

Yes Alexander definitely changed the Western and rge Eastern world, and I would agree if anyone says that Alexander his coins were the first official intercontinental currency of the world.
I was reading why the Seleukid Empire issued so few drachms compared to tetradrachms, ofcourse it has several reasons (for example big silver is easier to manage and control), but one big reason is just... There were enough drachms, Alexander drachms were circulating even in the core of Syria, there was few demand for more drachms, so few supply as well.

Let me throw in a random Seleukid drachm in here as well

Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (Grypos) (121/0-97/6 B.C.) AR Drachm. 3rd reign at Antioch. Antiochia on the Orontes mint, 109-96 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochos VIII to right.
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOY - EΠIΦANOYΣ. Tripod; monogram over Γ to outer left.
Reference: SC 2310; HGC 9, 1209.
3.74g
Ex Shlomo Moussaieff Collection, London, 1948 - 2000.

 

The triangle within a circle is the mintmark of Ai Khanoum. This coin is interesting to me, since it is the prototype to a very long series of Sogdian imitation obols that lasted for a couple of hundred years.

Interesting they say it is unpublished with mintmark in front of horse. At least half of these I have seen have the mintmark there.

 

It's the furthest east mint of the Seleucids opened by Seleucus I. I did a write up about the mint https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-coin-from-a-mint-on-the-edge-of-the-world.328153/
They knew coins came from this site from the same delta circle design found on bricks that were being dug up.

I surmised it is unpublished because I have not found another nor were able to find it in any reference. You are right the symbol above and before the nose is frequent on Drachms but do not occur on Hemidrachms. See the known examples here. I still need to add my unpublished example.