Quasi-municipal coinage of Alexander I Balas: Apamea and an interesting countermark

I am a great fan of the (quasi-municipal) coins issued by Alexander I Balas and Antiochos IV Epiphanes and I have obtained this great specimen of a coin from Apamea, issued by Alexander I Balas.


Alexander I Balas (152/1 B.C. - 145 B.C.) Æ Denomination B (double). Apameia on the Orontes mint. Dated 150/49 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of Alexander I right.
Reverse: AΠAMEΩN; Zeus standing left, holding Corinthian helmet and sceptre; monogram and ΓΞΡ (date) to left; c/m: palm fond within incuse rectangle.
Reference: SC 1804a; HGC 9, 904; DCA 133.
7.23g; 22mm.

These coins, with a diameter of 20-22 mm, bear the obverse type of Alexander's diademed portrait facing right and the reverse image of Zeus standing left holding a spear and a crested Corinthian helmet. The reverse also carries the ethnic legend AΠAMEΩN in the right field and the date, along with a control mark in the left field. The date on the reverse is invariably given as ΓΞΡ (163 SE=150/49 BC). Three magistrates are known for the issue.

Only for 1 year this coin is issued, although it is not possible to be certain what started the sudden and brief emission of the municipal coins it seems plausible that they may have been struck in response to an official visit of Alexander to Syria Seleucis, following his marriage to Cleopatra Thea at Ake-Ptolemais in 150 BC. Until the death of Demetrios I Soter (the king before Alexander I) in 151/0 BC, he had attempted to maintain northern Syria as a base for waging war against the usurping Alexander I Balas. Therefore, the period in which the municipal coins were issued seems to coincide with a time when Alexander might have visited the Syrian cities and reconcile them to their new king. Atleast it makes perfect chronological sense. The theory of a special royal tour commemorated by the municipal coinages is also attractive because otherwise Alexander I Balas seems to have been rather disinterested in the cities of Syria Seleucis. The literary sources indicate that he much preferred to spend his time at his court in Ake-Ptolemais and rarely resided at the traditional royal capital of Antioch.


Apamea shown on the map in Syria.

The most interesting on the coin is the palm countermark. In 147 BC the relative peace that the cities of Syria Seleucis had enjoyed since the accession of Alexander I Balas in 150 BC came to a crashing halt. The young Demetrios II arrived in Syria Seleucis with a mercenary army and crushed both Alexander I Balas and Ptolemy VI Philometor near Antioch-on-the-Orontes. Following this victory, Demetrios II, styling himself as Nikator (the conqueror). He, or the mercenary commanders who surrounded him, seem to have been concerned about the loyalty of the Syrian army to the new regime. Almost as soon as Demetrios was on the throne he took the ill-advised step of attempting to disband and disarm the troops who had served the Seleukid house for generations, which inevitably led to violence in the cities. When all the soldiers stationed in Antioch were sent away, each to his own place the Antiochene citizens announced their displeasure in their customary manner: by rioting.

Demetrios would have none of this sort of civic freedom and immediately crushed the rioters with mercenary archers firing into the streets from elevated positions. In Laodicea-ad-Mare the life of the citizen was severely hampered by Demetrios and his officials. During this troubled period, Apamea joined the revolt of Diodotus Tryphon and Antiochos VI Dionysos, which seems to suggest that it did not remain untouched by Demetrios and his army. Because Apamea with its surrounding towns was the major Seleukid arsenal and military settlement in Syria, it may very well have been the place to which many of the disaffected soldiers had returned. It seems therefore plausible to suggest that the rectangular countermark with the symbol of a palm branch, which is applied to most examples of the quasi-municipal coins at Apamea, may actually be related to a suppression by officials of Demetrios regarding the disturbances in Antioch and Seleucia.

Although the palm branch was a common symbol denoting victory in the Hellenistic world it may also have been intended to represent the authority of the new king, who was himself, Nikator. Dated tetradrachms of 146/5 BC issued for Demetrios II Nikator at Antioch have a palm branch as an adjunct symbol, apparently referring to his victory over Alexander I Balas.


Example of the tetradrachm with the palm branch issued by Demetrios II in Antioch to show he was "Nikatoros" (Victorious) over Alexander I Balas.

However, when the symbol is applied to the quasi-municipal coins of Apamea, it is also highly suggestive of Demetrios attack on the city's traditional freedoms and status. The countermark is frequently found applied directly over the ethnic, AΠAMEΩN, as if its main purpose was to obliterate the name of the citizen body on whose behalf the coins were originally issued. By countermarking in this fashion the local privileges and rights of the Apamean citizen body are symbolically erased.

I hope you enjoyed this read, and please show your coins from Alexander I Balas, Apamea and other Seleukid Quasi-municipal coins!

 

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Mine circulated a bit longer and made it to Demetrios II reign as well.


I would be curious how many mints issued coins without a king's name. Some are common, others are not.

Alexander I
Mint: Ascalon
Year 164, 149/148 BC
Obvs: Head of Alexander right.
Revs: BACIA on left, AΔEΞ on right, Asphlaston between. Mintmark ACK outter right, year ΔΞP outter left.
12x13mm, 1.31g
Ref: SC 1849(1)

 

I noticed many coins of this type all have that countermark. Also, very interesting coin from Ascalon, I haven't seen that one before. I guess it is as rare as the quasi-municipal coin from Berytos.