Many ancient-coin collectors have the series of Roman portrait coins in mind. Of course, many also collect other themes as well. I have been at it a long time and have worked on many sub-collections, mostly Roman, that interested me. Read a lot about ancient coins and you will find very many potential themes and many collectors conceive of their own, unique to them. In May I bought Pangerl's magnificent new book on Hellenistic portrait coins (which I wrote about in a thread at the time: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pangerls-hellenistic-portraits.361174/ ) I looked at it again recently and was impressed with the coins and the thought I could extend the portrait series to Greek coins. I thought I'd like to add some portraits of Greek rulers too. Today two Seleukid coins came in the mail: 30-29 mm. Large. 13.97 grams. This is from the second reign, 129-125 BC, of Demetrios II, Seleukid king. Dated according to the Seleukid era in the right field: 130/129 BC (very early in his second reign.) Hoover Handbook 1222. Sear Greek 7105. 28-27 mm. 14.07 grams. Antiochus VII, 138-129. Dated in the right field according to the Seleukid era: Struck 137/6 BC. (The Seleukids were kings in Syria and beyond after Alexander the Great.) Look at the two portraits closely and they look pretty similar. There is a reason for that--they were brothers! The story is far more complex than I will give here, but the outline is Demetrios II came to the throne as a young man after challenging the successor to his father. He gained the throne but was unpopular and usurpations broke out. Also, he had to go fight the Parthians and got himself captured in 138. Thereupon his younger brother Antiochus VII claimed the throne. After successes against rivals he became sole ruler and the Parthians, cleverly, released Demetrios II (who had reportedly been treated well for ten years) to sow discord among the Seleukids. Antiochus VII was killed fighting Parthians in the east leaving Demetrios II to claim the throne for a second time. None of this action was accomplished in isolation; the Ptolemies were meddling and supporting Seleukid rivals all the time. Many of the second-reign portraits of Demetrios II show him with a long beard (much like Parthian rulers), but this one has him look much like his brother. I think the same man engraved the dies for both portraits. I recommend a small, inexpensive, and well-done book entitled "Royal Greek Portrait Coins" by Edward Newell. It is 125 pages with life-size B&W photos and very short biographies of almost 200 different Greek kings, organized by region and easy to find in an 8-page index. Amazon does not have it inexpensively now, but AbeBooks does, under $10. If you decide you like Seleukid coins, the book to get is Oliver Hoover's "Handbook of Syrian Coins, Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC," published by CNG. It is very well and thoroughly illustrated in B&W. We have had many threads on portraits of Roman emperors. Let's show a selection of non-Roman portraits.
The portraits of the Seleukid kings are the bridge between the portraits of Alexander the Great and the Romans. In my mind this is one of the more sucessful Seleukid portraits. Perhaps not a technically perfect but the composition is wonderful. The treatment of truncation of the neck is what gives this image its power and its grace. Demetrios I Soter Ar Tetradrachm Antioch SC 164 155-154 BC Obv Head right diademed Rv Tyche seated left. (I will say that the image of Tyche is less than inspiring) 16.81 grms 26 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Another Antiochus vii: Antiochos VII. Euergetes (138-129 BC). AR Drachm Condition: Very Fine Weight: 3,99 gr Diameter: 16,85 mm And how's about an ATG portrait:
I have this drachm of Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia (96-63 BC), with a rather attractive portrait. On this coin he uses the epithet "Philoromaios" (Friend of the Romans), as he allied himself with the Roman Republic against his powerful neighbors Mithradates VI of Pontus and Tigranes II of Armenia.
Those are some great Seleucid tets, @Valentinian ! And nice idea for a thread. As far as non-Romans, I always enjoy the portraits of the Cappadocian kings, here are a couple of mine: KINGS OF CAPPADOCIA. Ariarathes IX Eusebes Philopator, AR Drachm (18 mm, 4.13 g), Eusebeia, RY 6 = 95/4 BC. Diademed head of Ariarathes IX to r. Rev.BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ / APIAPAΘOY / EYΣEBOY / ς Athena standing front, holding Nike in her r. hand and resting her left on shield set on ground, spear leaning against arm; monogram in inner l. field. Kings of Cappadocia, Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator, 163-130 BC., AR Drachm (17 mm, 3.99g), Eusebeia-Mazaca, circa 131 B.C. Diademed head of Ariarathes to right. Rev. BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ APIAPAΘOY EYΣEBOYΣ, Athena standing l. holding Nike, spear and shield set on ground.
Here's my favorite, a tetradrachm of Perseus. This is most likely the original die from a lengthy series where the art degraded quickly. The text beneath the portrait of "Zoilus" is likely the magistrate name and accompanies these early, high-relief portraits:
This one is probably my best. Antiochus X Antiochon the Orontes 94 BC AR Tetradrachm Obvs: Diademed head of Antiochus right with short sideburn. Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOV EVΣEBOYΣ ·I·IΛOΠATOPOΣ, Zeus Nikephoros seated left, holding lotus-tipped scepter; Σ monogram and A to outer left, Π below throne; all within wreath. 26x27mm, 14.91g Ref: cf. SC 2428a; cf. HGC 9, 1287(R1) Note: Unpublished with neither lack of nor long sideburn, but a "short" sideburn. I've seen a lot of these Tetradrachms of Tyre lately been wanting to pick up one myself.
PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHOS AR Tetradrachm OBVERSE: Diademed head of Ptolemy II right, wearing aegis around neck REVERSE: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, to left, club surmounted by Tyre monogram Tyre 285-260 BC 25 mm., 14.14 grams Svoronos 644; SNG Copenhagen 482-3 ex. JAZ Numismatics CAPPADOCIAN KINGDOM: Ariarathes V AR Drachm OBVERSE: Diademed head of Ariarathes V right REVERSE: Athena standing left, holding Nike & resting hand on grounded shield, HDI monogram in outer left field, PAFI monogram in inner left field, HF monogram in outer right field, date GL in exergue Struck at Cappadocia, Year 33 (= 130 BC) 4.2g, 18mm SNG Copenhagen Suppl. 673–678. Simonetta p. 24, 20b ARIOBARZANES I PHILOROMAIOS; KINGS of CAPPADOCIA AR Drachm OBVERSE: Diademed head right REVERSE: Athena Nikephoros standing left; monogram to inner left Mint A (Eusebeia-Mazaka) 68-67 BC 3.73 g, 16mm Simonetta, Coins 38s
I have a handful of Greek portrait coins, mostly incidental lot accumulation rather than a deliberare purchase. The first living kings to appear on coinage were actually the satraps of the Achaemenid Empire, as the Greeks considered it to be taboo and/or in poor taste until after the Wars of the Diadochi. Hecatomnos, satrap of Caria (Father of Maussolus) Datames, or Tarkamuwa as he called himself, one of the most renowned pre-Alexander generals and satrap of Cilicia This Cilician obol may depict Artaxerxes III Then come the Hellenes! Ptolemy I, I believe the first to put his ugly mug on coinage Seleukos, perhaps Herakles stylized to look a bit like himself? Antiochus is always a favorite Demetrius I Soter Antiochus VIII Epiphanes Ptolemy V (?) Cappadocia, Ariarathes V
This is one of my favorite coins... Seleukid Empire. Demetrios II Nikator, first reign, 146-138 BC. AR Drachm (17mm, 4.11 g, 12h). Seleukeia on the Tigris mint. Struck circa 145-141 BC. Obv: Diademed head right; monogram to left. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ - ΦΙΛΑΔΕ-ΛΦΟΥ / ΝΙΚΑΤΟΡΟΣ; Zeus Nikephoros seated left. Ref: SC 1986.1; HGC 9, 984. Ex CNG.
What is the earliest Greek coin that has what is considered an actual portrait of the ruler and is inscribed with his name? I have never been all that interested in the Hellenistic period so I have rather few portrait coins. Without pushing the matter and calling the running kings of the Persians 'portraits', who can show anything before Philip II?
<-----My 'Green with envy' face. That is a very special piece of art. PAMPHYLIA, Aspendos. Circa 212/11-184/3 BC. AR Tetradrachm. 33mm 16.08 g In the name and types of Alexander III "The Great" Struck year 24 (189/8 BC) O: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress R: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, holding eagle and scepter, AΣ/KΔ before, eagle standing left below throne. c/m: Seleukid anchor Price 2903; Müller 1216 Seleukid Kings, Seleukos IV Philopator. (187-175 BC). AR Tetradrachm. Antioch on the Orontes mint. 27mm 16.30g O: Diademed head right R: Apollo Delphios seated left on omphalos, holding arrow and resting on grounded bow HGC 9, 580e
I have only two: Egypt, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy VI Philometor [“Mother-loving”] (First reign, 180-164 BCE), ca.180-170 BCE, Alexandria Mint. Obv. Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis / Rev. Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt, ΠTOΛEMAIOY on left, BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right. Seaby 7895 [Sear, David, Greek Coins & their Values, Vol. II: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)]; Svoronos 1489 (ill. Pl. 51a, Nos. 1-5) [Svoronos, J.N., Ta Nomismata tou Kratous ton Ptolemaion (Athens, 1904-08)] (see https://www.coin.com/images/dr/svoronos/svc001p209t.html [incorrectly attributed to Ptolemy VIII]); SNG Copenhagen 262-268 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Part 40: Egypt: The Ptolemies (Copenhagen 1977)]; BMC 6 Ptolemaic Egypt 3 (p. 100) (ill. Pl. XXIV No. 5) [Poole, R.S., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 6, Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt (London, 1883)]. 26 mm., 12.14 g. Syria, Seleucid Empire, Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (Grypon) Tetradrachm, 109-96 BCE Antioch Mint. Obv. Diademed head of Antiochos VIII right / Rev. Zeus Nikephoros seated left on high-backed throne, holding Nike on outstretched right hand and scepter in left; to outer left, E/P monogram above A [Antioch]; ΔI monogram below throne; BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY EΠIΦANOYΣ; all within laurel wreath. Seleucid Coins [SC] Pt. 2, 2309; Seleucid Coins Online [same] (see http://numismatics.org/sco/id/sc.1.2309); Seaby 7145 (ill.) [Sear, David, Greek Coins & their Values, Vol. II: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)]; Hoover HGC 9, 1200 [Hoover, Oliver, Handbook of Syrian Coins, Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 9 (2009)]; Newell SMA 405 [Newell, E.T., The Seleucid Mint of Antioch (1918)], SNG Israel 2554-55 [Spaer, A. & A. Houghton, Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Israel I, The Arnold Spaer Collection of Seleucid Coins (London, 1998)]. 27 mm., 16.2 g.
This 5 litrae coin of Syracuse antedates Philip II and has the queen's name on the reverse. Philistis, wife of Hieron II. Greek AR 5 litrae. Syracuse 270-230 BCE, 4.46 gm, 18.1 mm. Obv: Diademed and veiled head, l., palm branch behind. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑΣ ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΔΟΣ, Nike driving biga to left, E in l. field. Refs: SNG ANS 893; SNG III (Lockett) 1017; Forrer 196.
Some of the Early Greek portraits have real character, Here is an image of a guy you probably would not like to meet on in a dark alley. Possibly the only eunuch to start a dynasty.... Phlietairos Ar Tetradrachm Pergamon. Obv, Head right diademed Rv, Athena sseated left holding shield in front of her. Westermark III/2 16.90 grams 29mm Photo by W. Hansen
Incidentally I just purchased an upgrade of the type yesterday. Perikles' staters are seen as the first portrait of a king on a coin (there are a few earlier examples where the ruler is shown as a reverse figure but this is a stark progression from an artistic and iconographic perspective). The reverse is always messy so I can forgive it. DYNASTS OF LYCIA. Perikles, circa 380-360 BC. Stater (Silver, 26 mm, 9.71 g, 4 h), Phellos. Laureate and bearded head of Perikles facing three-quarters to left, with his hair in dramatic disarray; traces of a cloak around his neckline; to right, dolphin swimming downward. Rev. - ('Perikle - Wehñtezẽ' in Lycian) Perikles, nude but for Corinhtian helmet, advancing to right, wielding sword in his right hand and holding shield in his left; in field to right, triskeles; all within incuse square. Mildenberg, Mithrapata, 21 and pl. 4, 20 and 22 (this coin). Müseler VIII, 35 var. (same obverse die, but differing reverse symbol). N. Olçay & O. Mørkholm: The Coin Hoard from Podalia, in: NC 1971, 407 (this coin). SNG von Aulock 4249 (same dies). Beautifuly toned and with a spectacular and dramatic portrait