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<p>[QUOTE="ValiantKnight, post: 2598502, member: 44210"]I've been wanting a piece of affordable big Greek silver for some time now, and just recently was I able to finally purchase one for my collection. I didn't really intend it as a Christmas gift to myself when I bought it but hey, it might as well be! It hasn't arrived yet but I hope the postal gods, in the spirit of the holidays, will be kind enough to have it arrive safely even though I posted it early. </p><p><br /></p><p>I wasn't seriously picky on what kind of city or culture my Greek silver had to come from, as long as it was Greek of course and within my budget, so I settled on Seleucid. I also wanted something with a nice, large 3D-looking bust. This tetradrachm of Demetrius I Soter fit the bill for me. As I've mentioned numerous times, ancient Greek isn't one of my major areas, so I feel like I just jumped into the deep end of the pool here for the first time with this rather pricey purchase. I think, despite a couple of minor rough spots, that it is an attractive coin, and I hope that you do as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin has a little bit of provenance. Before I found it on VCoins recently, it sold through CNG in 2011, and it was part of the Stephen Glover Collection. Apparently he had a number of Seleucid coins that sold in that same year. Does anyone know or have any info on this Stephen Glover? All I was able to come up with was a 19th century antiquarian and a British journalist born in the 50s.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Demetrius I Soter</u>, Seleucid Empire</b></p><p>AR tetradrachm</p><p><b>Obv</b>: Diademed head right, within wreath</p><p><b>Rev</b>: BASILEWS DHMHTRIOU, Tyche holding scepter and cornucopia, seated left on throne supported by tritoness, monogram to outer left</p><p><b>Mint</b>: Antioch</p><p><b>Date</b>:161-150 BC</p><p><b>Size</b>: 32 mm, 16 gr</p><p><b>Ref</b>: SC 1634</p><p><b>Provenance</b>: Ex Stephen Glover Collection (Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 264)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566785[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><u>Facts on Demetrius</u></p><p><u><br /></u></p><p>Demetrius I was born in 185 BC.</p><p><br /></p><p>In his youth, Demetrius was sent as a hostage to Rome by his father, Seleucus IV.</p><p><br /></p><p>As a young man, Demetrius returned to Syria to defeat the usurper Antiochus V, and he claimed the throne in 161 BC.</p><p><br /></p><p>During his reign as <i>basileus</i>, Demetrius went to war in 160 BC against the Maccabees, a Jewish group that rebelled in Judaea, then part of the Seleucid Empire. He managed to achieve victory and quell the rebellion.</p><p><br /></p><p>He also liberated the Babylonians from the tyrant Timarchus. This act gave him title of Soter, meaning "Savior". Demetrius also was able to defeat the king of Cappadocia.</p><p><br /></p><p>With the victories he acquired, Demetrius was able to reunite the Seleucid Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Demetrius married his sister Laodice, and together they had three sons.</p><p><br /></p><p>A brother of the defeated Timarchus, Heracleides, conspired with Alexander Balas (who claimed to be a son of Demetrius's uncle, Antiochus IV), the Roman Senate, and the Jews to bring about the downfall of Demetrius. Balas and the Jews managed to kill Demetrius in 150 BC, and Balas then became the Seleucid king.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566786[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Hatra, a Seleucid city:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566787[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Seleucid soldiers:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566788[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]566789[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566790[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="ValiantKnight, post: 2598502, member: 44210"]I've been wanting a piece of affordable big Greek silver for some time now, and just recently was I able to finally purchase one for my collection. I didn't really intend it as a Christmas gift to myself when I bought it but hey, it might as well be! It hasn't arrived yet but I hope the postal gods, in the spirit of the holidays, will be kind enough to have it arrive safely even though I posted it early. I wasn't seriously picky on what kind of city or culture my Greek silver had to come from, as long as it was Greek of course and within my budget, so I settled on Seleucid. I also wanted something with a nice, large 3D-looking bust. This tetradrachm of Demetrius I Soter fit the bill for me. As I've mentioned numerous times, ancient Greek isn't one of my major areas, so I feel like I just jumped into the deep end of the pool here for the first time with this rather pricey purchase. I think, despite a couple of minor rough spots, that it is an attractive coin, and I hope that you do as well. The coin has a little bit of provenance. Before I found it on VCoins recently, it sold through CNG in 2011, and it was part of the Stephen Glover Collection. Apparently he had a number of Seleucid coins that sold in that same year. Does anyone know or have any info on this Stephen Glover? All I was able to come up with was a 19th century antiquarian and a British journalist born in the 50s. [B][U]Demetrius I Soter[/U], Seleucid Empire[/B] AR tetradrachm [B]Obv[/B]: Diademed head right, within wreath [B]Rev[/B]: BASILEWS DHMHTRIOU, Tyche holding scepter and cornucopia, seated left on throne supported by tritoness, monogram to outer left [B]Mint[/B]: Antioch [B]Date[/B]:161-150 BC [B]Size[/B]: 32 mm, 16 gr [B]Ref[/B]: SC 1634 [B]Provenance[/B]: Ex Stephen Glover Collection (Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 264) [ATTACH=full]566785[/ATTACH] [U]Facts on Demetrius [/U] Demetrius I was born in 185 BC. In his youth, Demetrius was sent as a hostage to Rome by his father, Seleucus IV. As a young man, Demetrius returned to Syria to defeat the usurper Antiochus V, and he claimed the throne in 161 BC. During his reign as [I]basileus[/I], Demetrius went to war in 160 BC against the Maccabees, a Jewish group that rebelled in Judaea, then part of the Seleucid Empire. He managed to achieve victory and quell the rebellion. He also liberated the Babylonians from the tyrant Timarchus. This act gave him title of Soter, meaning "Savior". Demetrius also was able to defeat the king of Cappadocia. With the victories he acquired, Demetrius was able to reunite the Seleucid Empire. Demetrius married his sister Laodice, and together they had three sons. A brother of the defeated Timarchus, Heracleides, conspired with Alexander Balas (who claimed to be a son of Demetrius's uncle, Antiochus IV), the Roman Senate, and the Jews to bring about the downfall of Demetrius. Balas and the Jews managed to kill Demetrius in 150 BC, and Balas then became the Seleucid king. [ATTACH=full]566786[/ATTACH] Hatra, a Seleucid city: [ATTACH=full]566787[/ATTACH] Seleucid soldiers: [ATTACH=full]566788[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]566789[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]566790[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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