It's always a thrill for me when I finally manage to nail an elusive attribution. In the case of this piece, which had been sitting in my unattributed pile for a long while, the attribution aid came from an unexpected source - random browsing on ebay. Obviously ebay is not where I'd ordinarily go for attribution, but some checking on Wildwinds and other resources seems to confirm my coin as CSE Houghton 830, an issue of Antiochos VII from the Gaza mint, when the Seleucid kings ruled over the Palestine region (200/198 - 104/103 BC). Unfortunately, even if the attribution is correct, it seems that some authors have questioned CSE's placement of the issue under Gaza because this series doesn't in fact bear the monogram of Gaza. The visible control marks are HΔΛM in a vertical line in the left field, which may have been the marks of another city or even a private mint. As my access to further relevant literature is non-existent, and my knowledge of Seleucid coinage next to non-existent, I'm afraid I can't provide any further information on this issue. Nevertheless, I do think this is a fairly interesting coin and worth posting, and since I haven't seen too many threads on Seleucid coins, I hope those of you who have Seleucids (or even issues from Gaza) will pile on here. SELEUCID KINGDOM Antiochos VII Sidetes (138 - 129 BC) AE, 3.6g, 18.5mm Uncertain mint (possibly Gaza) Houghton 830 O: Head of Apollo right. R: BASILEWS ANTIOXOY, Tyche standing right with cornucopiae & sceptre.
Here's one I may not have shown yet on CT. It's from my first mixed lot purchase, June 2013 (Heritage). Needs a reshoot. SELEUCID KINGDOM. Seleucus I Nicator AR tetradrachm. Struck 295/4-291 BC, Susa mint In the style of Alexander the Great Obv: head of Heracles right in lion skin headdress Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ below, ΣEΛEYKOY to right, Zeus Αetophoros enthroned with eagle & sceptre, facing head of Helios over M to left, M above strut, AP below strut of throne Ref: SC 165 1a
cool zumbly! i love getting an unexpected attribution...and i've had the same experience..more than once. was looking around and found my coin on ebay. here's my favorite seleucid, from demetrios i...
To a novice like me, attributing Seleucids of the various kings named Antiochus is frustrating, especially since often all you get is BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY, and the portraits are sometimes very similar. Nice coin, though. I'm surprised someone around on this forum doesn't specialize in Seleucids.
Congrats on the attribution! It is a thrill to finally figure out an elusive ID! Yay!!!! BTW, not bad details despite the corrosion.
