WTS: Alexander the Great, Amazons, and Antioch

Discussion in 'For Sale' started by John Anthony, Apr 10, 2021.

  1. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Hello friends here are three very interesting ancient coins. PM me if interested. The price includes tracked shipping within the US. Payment by Paypal (+3.6%), MO, check, or Wise. I have 100% positive feedback on eBay over eight years of sales and I offer a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. Peace and blessings, J.

    1. SOLD

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    2. “Amisos, the mythical home of the Amazons, was settled c. 760 - 750 B.C. by people from Miletus, who established a flourishing trade relationship with the ancient peoples of Anatolia. Amisos came under the rule of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great's Macedonian Empire, and then the Kingdom of Pontus. The Romans took control in 47 B.C. and Amisos remained within the Byzantine Empire until it was captured by the Seljuks in 1200, to be later taken over by the Ilhanlilar. Amisos today is Samsun, a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey.” [FORVM] An aegis is an animal skin or shield carried by Athena and Zeus, frequently featuring the head of a Gorgon.

    Here’s a wonderful bronze struck during the time of Mithradates VI. “Mithradates VI Eupator "the Great" expanded his Pontic Kingdom through conquest, which inevitably brought him into conflict with Rome. He regarded himself as the champion of the Greeks against Rome, however, after three years of war, he was defeated by Pompey the Great.” [ibid] Compare to vcoins here. $40 shipped.

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    PONTOS, Amisos.
    Æ23, 5.1g, 1h; Circa 85-65 BC
    Obv.: Aegis.
    Rev.: AMI-ΣOY: Nike walking right, holding palm tied with fillet over left shoulder; monograms left and right.
    Reference: SNG BMC Black Sea 1180-1182.
    From the Arnoldoe Collection.

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    3. “Antioch was founded near the end of the fourth century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. The city's geographical, military, and economic location benefited its occupants, particularly such features as the spice trade, the Silk Road, and the Royal Road. It eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the Near East. The city was the capital of the Seleucid Empire until 63 BC, when the Romans took control, making it the seat of the governor of the province of Syria…Antioch was one of the most important cities in the eastern Mediterranean half of the Roman Empire. It covered almost 1,100 acres within the walls of which one quarter was mountain, leaving 750 acres about one-fifth the area of Rome within the Aurelian Walls.

    Antioch was called "the cradle of Christianity" as a result of its longevity and the pivotal role that it played in the emergence of both Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity. The Christian New Testament asserts that the name "Christian" first emerged in Antioch. It was one of the four cities of Seleucis of Syria, and its residents were known as Antiochenes. The city may have had up to 250,000 people during Augustan times…” [wiki]

    These bronzes featuring the bust of Zeus on the obverse with Zeus Nikephoros on the reverse were struck during the 1st century BC. They were dated in Greek numerals below Zeus’ throne on the reverse, but the dates often didn’t make it onto the flan. Here is a great example of the type, compare to retail offerings here. This coin is a wonderful exemplar of the “desert” or “Antioch” patina. $40 shipped.

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    SYRIA. Seleucis & Pieria, Antioch.
    Pseudo-autonomous civic issue under Roman rule.
    AE Tetrachalkon, 21mm, 7.6g, 2h; Struck 39-18 BC.
    Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus right, neck extending below beaded border.
    Rev.: ANTIOXEΩN / THΣ / MHTΡOΠOΛEΩΣ; Zeus enthroned left holding Nike and scepter; [date in exergue]
    Reference: RPC 4226-41
    From the Theodosius Collection.
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2021
    Theodosius likes this.

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