Seleukid tet with provenance -- Antiochus III and Cleopatra Thea

I haven't posted this one in a while and I rephotographed it today in natural sunlight, so I thought I'd show it off. This one came from the Henry Clay Lindgren collection, which he sold off in a series of buy-or-bid sales some 15 to 20 years ago.

Post your Seleukid tets, ex-Lindgren coins, or anything you feel is relevant!


Cleopatra Thea, Queen of Syria, with son Antiochus VIII.
AR tetradrachm; 15.85 gm, 27 mm.
Antioch mint, 125-121 BC.
Obv: Jugate busts, right.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, Zeus Nikephoros seated l., holding lotus-tipped scepter; IE outer left, A under throne.
Refs: SNG Spaer 2437; c.f. Sear 7135.
Notes: Ex-Henry Clay Lindgren. Obverse die match to an example sold in Baldwin's, Dmitry Markov and M&M Numismatics New York Sale IX, January 13, 2005.

Here's a write-up about the sale in The Celator:

 

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I bought this coin in September, sight unseen, for $25 from HC Lindgren, Fixed Price List #63. I was incredibly excited to see a coin with silphium in my price range and sent off an email to Dr. Lindgren a few minutes after the list went up.


Kyrene, Koinon of Kyrene, circa 250 BC, AE22, 6.4g
Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right
K-O I-N O-N, silphium plant.

 

Those are great tets Roman Collector. I can add to your description of your coin by narrowing down the year of minting to 122/121 BC.


Antiochos VIII
Mint: Sidon
AR Tetradrachm
116/115 BC
Obvs: Diademed head of Antiochos right within fillet border.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EΠIФANOYΣ, Zeus Ouranios standing left, holding star and scepter. Outer left, ΣIΔΩ IEP Σ٩P in three lines above monogram. Date in exergue, all within wreath.
28x30mm, 16.22g
Ref: SC 2330.2

And here's a drachm

Antiochos VIII
Mint: Antioch
AR Drachm
109 to 96 BC
Obvs: Antiochos diademed head right, within dotted border.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EΠIΦANOYΣ, Tripod. PE on left
17mm, 3.8g
Ref: SNG 2525, SC 2310

 

RC, I love your excavations of prior sales and catalogs! Nice coin .

I have one ex-Lindgren from a @John Anthony sale:


PAMPHYLIA, Perga. Elagabalus
Æ26, 9.5 gm, 12h
Obv: AV K M AV ANTΩNI[NOC CEB]; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, c/m eagle, head left
Rev: [Π]ЄPΓAIWN; Artemis standing right, left arm outstretched, right arm holding arrow
Ref: Lindgren 1113 (this coin)

Not long ago I snagged a decent example of the type for what I think was a good price. It's not from a notable collection though. Hmm, looking at it now I wonder if mine is tooled .


KYRENAIKA, Kyrene
Koinon issue
c. 250 BCE
AE; 21 mm, 7.47 gm
Obv: head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing taenia
Rev: silphium plant; monogram left; K-O / N-I / O-N
Rev: Müller, Afrique 114; Buttrey, Coins 219 var. (no monogram); SNG Copenhagen 1276-9 var. (no monogram); BMC 16-9 (Koinon)

 

Demetrios II Ar Tetradrachm 141-140 B.C. Sidon Mint 13.56 grms 25 mm Houghton Collection 718 (This Coin) SC 1954. 5b (This Coin) HGC 969 ( This Coin)
Ex Houghton Collection Munzen & Medailien Basel FPL 276 Lot 18 May 1967 Purchased by me March 1998 ? One thing I would like to know is where this coin was after Houghton sold it and my purchase of it. Did it appear in an auction? I would sure like to know.

 

What a great Tet @Roman Collector! I didn't know you also had Seleukid coins, I thought you were only collecting Roman coins

My very recent addition of Antiochos VIII I shared in a previous thread (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/new-tetradrachm.346498/):


Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (Grypos) (121/0-97/6 B.C.) AR Tetradrachm. 2nd reign at Antioch. Antiochia on the Orontes mint, 112-111/10 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochos VIII to right.
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOY - EΠIΦANOYΣ Zeus Ouranios standing front, head to left; holding star in his right hand and long scepter in his left; above, crescent; to left, monogram above A; to inner right, Δ; all within laurel wreath.
Reference: SC 2302.1f.
Weight: 16.26g
Size: 27mm, 12h

And here an extremely rare bronze of Antiochos VIII, his smallest bronze denomination (quarter unit), with his nice hook nose.


Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (121/0-97/6 B.C.) Æ Denomination E (quarter), struck circa 109-96 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus VIII right.
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EΠIФANOYΣ (“of King Antiochos the Illustrious”), Rose. Outer left PE control.
Reference: SC 2316; HGC 9, 1227(R3).
2.33g; 13mm

And well why not, I throw in another bronze of him since I like his distinct portrait.


Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (121/0-97/6 B.C.) Æ Denomination B, Uncertain Northern Syrian mint. Struck ca. 119-113 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus VIII right.
Reverse: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXΟΥ EΠIΦANOYΣ (“of King Antiochos the Illustrious”). Tripod with thunderbolt at top; monogram on the left.
Reference: SC 2318; HGC 9, 1215.
4.19g; 17mm

 

Very nice. Here's my only Seleukid tet (which could probably use a new photo).


Antiochos II Theos, 261-246 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 30 mm, 14.99 g), Seleukeia on the Tigris. Diademed head of Antiochos II to right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ Apollo seated left on omphalos, holding arrow in his right hand and resting his left on grounded bow; to left and right, monograms. SC 587.1d.

 

Lindgren was an interesting character. He used to sell me coins and would offer up tupperware bins, sorted not by type but price. Those bins were chock full of really rare coins, though most often lower grade. You never knew what you would find.

Thanks for posting, it brought back some nice memories.

 

I love that Elagabalus!

 

Nice bit of provenance there, RC.

Like TIF, I also have a Lindgren plate coin from a John Anthony sale.


SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare
AE17. 3.0g, 16.6mm. SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare, circa 1st century AD. Lindgren 2070 (this coin). O: ‬IOYΛIЄωN TωN KAI ΛAOΔIKЄωN, Bust of Dionysos right, thyrsos before. R: Artemis (?) standing left, holding staff and branch; monogram to right. Notes: Very rare.
Ex Henry Clay Lindgren Collection

This other Lindgren plate coin was a happy surprise, as the provenance was not advertised in the description of the group lot it came in.

THESSALY, Larissa-Kremaste
AE Trichalkon. 5.38g, 19mm. THESSALY, Larissa Kremaste, 4th century BC. Rogers 315; Lindgren II 1401 (this coin); BCD Thessaly II 403.1. O: Head of Achilles left. R: Thetis seated left on hippocamp, holding shield of Achilles with AX (=Achilles) monogram.
Ex BCD Collection, ex Henry Clay Lindgren Collection

Here it is illustrated in the Lindgren's "Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: European Mints."