(The East)
JUDAEA
HEROD THE GREAT OF THE BIBLE 10215. JUDAEA, HERODIAN KINGS, HEROD I (THE GREAT), 40-4 BC, AE 27 mm. eight Prutot, Hendin 486, TJC 44, AJC II 1, Choice VF, 25mm, Samaria mint, 40 B.C.; obverse HRWDOU BASILEWS (of King Herod), tripod, ceremonial bowl (lebes) above, LG - P (= year 3 of the tetrarchy = 40 B.C.) across fields; reverse military helmet facing, decorated with ivy?, with cheek pieces and straps, wreathed with acanthus leaves, star above, flanked by two palm-branches. Excellent contrasting patina. Historic coin of the Herod of the Bible. The largest denomination coin Herod issued. An excellent example with great contrasting patina.
$350.
PONTIUS PILATE 9367. JUDAEA, PONTIUS PILATE, JUDAEA, Procurators. Pontius Pilate. 26-36 CE. Æ Prutah (16mm, 2.65 g, 12h). Dated RY 16 (29 CE). IOYΛIA KAICAPOC, three bound grain ears / [TI]BЄPIOY KAICAPOC [LIς], simpulum. Meshorer 331; Hendin 648. VF. Excellent example of this coin struck under the authority of the Roman Procurator who condemned Jesus to the cross.
The relationship between the Romans and the Jews during the administration of Pontius Pilate became increasingly more volatile than during previous administrations, as Pilate took many steps to incite and provoke the Jews. Ensigns which bore the image of Tiberius were seen as a denigration of their religion. Uprisings ultimately ending in executions and Messianic hope became increasingly more common. Of numismatic significance, religious sentiments were further antagonized through some of Pilate’s early coinage which featured the simpulum and lituus, elements of the pagan Roman religion (see Avi-Yonah, The World History of the Jewish People, vol. VII, pp. 128-30).
SELEUKID KINGS (history, maps, family tree)
9423. SELEUKID KINGS, SELEUKOS I, 312-280 BC. AE 22. Laureate head of Apollo right / Athena standing right, brandishing spear and shield; upturned anchor to right. SC 15/1; Newell, WSM 911; SNG Spaer 3. Near EF and a choice example. Scarce.
PEDIGREED AND PUBLISHED. VERY RARE SELEUCID RULER. 11278. SELEUKID KINGS, ANTIOCHOS, son of Seleukos IV, 175-170 BC. AR Drachm (4.23 g, 19 mm, 12h). Antioch mint. Diademed head of the child king right / Apollo Delphios seated left on omphalos; tripod to outer left, Φ in exergue. Sear 6974; SC 1370; CSE I 94 (This coin!). Good VF. A superb example of an extremely rare type. Toned over luster on reverse. High relief. Provenance: Ex Houghton collection, CSE I 94.
On the assassination of Seleukos IV in 175 Heliodoros seized power as regent for the late king's five-year-old son, Antiochos. But Seleukos' brother, also named Antiochos, invaded Syria and made himself master of the kingdom, reigning as Antiochos IV. His young nephew disappears from history after several years of nominal joint rule. Only a few coins were struck with his portrait. Commentary adapted from David Sear's 'Greek Coins and Their Values'.
VERY RARE LARGE SELEUKID USURPER BRONZE 12950. SELEUKID KINGS, TIMARCHOS. Usurper, 164-161 BC. AE (32mm, 33.24 g, 12h). Ekbatana mint. Diademed head of Timarchos right / Nike advancing left, holding wreath and palm branch. SC 1594; HGC 9, 768. VF/F, dark green-brown surfaces, a few adjustment marks, some roughness. Very rare.
Timarchos was a close adherent of Antiochos IV, who appointed him as the Seleucid ambassador to Rome, and later as satrap of Media (or Babylonia). His brother, Herakleidas, was also an associate of the king, who appointed him as royal treasurer. Upon the death of Antiochos IV, his nephew, Demetrios I, who was a hostage at Rome, appealed to the Romans to be made the new king. The Romans, however, looked for a weaker ruler, and supported the accession of Antiochos' child, Antiochos V. Demetrios soon escaped from Rome, and recruited a powerful army to back his bid for the Seleucid throne. Upon entering Syria, Demetrios easily took control, ordering the death of the young king, and removed Herakleidas from his position. One may assume Timarchos was also slated for removal. In late 162 or 161 BC, Timarchos appealed to the Romans for help, and they recognized him as king (though likely only over an independent Media). He quickly consolidated his rule in Media, and took the title Great King, apparently appealing to the sentiments of the native Persians to support his rule. Soon Timarchos had an army to challenge Demetrios and he took control of Seleucia on the Tigris. Nonetheless, Demetrios' support was too strong, and Timarchos was defeated and killed in battle, probably somewhere near Babylon.
Although previous research had suggested his power base was Babylon, more recent discoveries, including the numismatic evidence, support the contention that Ekbatana was his capital. The numismatic evidence also suggests that Timarchos may have begun his revolt during the reign of Antiochos V, perhaps recognizing that the Roman candidate would obviously be unable to keep control of the kingdom while threats abounded on many fronts, including especially the ascendant Parthian kingdom of Mithridates I to the east. Commentary courtesy CNG.
EXTREMELY RARE SELEUKID TETRADRACHM EX CHRISTIE'S 11031. SELEUCID KINGS, DEMETRIOS I WITH LAODIKE IV, 162-150 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 16.03 g, 2h). Seleukeia on the Tigris mint. Jugate busts of Demetrios, diademed, and Laodike, draped and wearing stephane / Tyche, holding scepter and cornucopia, seated left on throne supported by tritoness right; monogram to outer left. SC 1689.1; HGC 9, 800. Fine, toned, small patch behind Demetrios' ear. Extremely rare. Provenance: From the Stephen Glover Collection. Ex Christie's 2 (2 May 1989), lot 747.
A BEAUTIFUL STYLE! 8584. SELEUCID KINGS, DEMETRIOS I, 162-150 BC. Tetradrachm. 30 mm., 16.60 g. Sear 7015. His head r./Tyche std. l. VF+. Choice finely styled reverse example with sharp figure of Nike supporting Tyche's throne.
SUPERB! 6545. SELEUCID KINGS OF SYRIA, DEMETRIOS II NIKATOR. First reign, 145-140 BC. Tetradrachm, S7056, 29 mm., 14.17 g. Tyre mint. Diademed head of Demetrios II right. / Eagle standing left with one foot on prow. EF.
CHOICE LARGE FLAN EXAMPLE 11025. SELEUKID KINGS, TRYPHON, 142-138 BC. AE (17mm, 5.09 g, 1h). Antioch mint. Diademed head right / Spiked Macedonian helmet adorned with wild goat horns; piloi of the Dioskouroi to inner left. SC 2034.2d; HGC 9, 1061. EF, dark green patina. A great perfectly centered example on an especially large flan with a very fine style portrait.
SUPERB! 7206. SELEUCID KINGS, ANTIOCHOS VII, 138-129 BC. AR Tetradrachm. 29 mm., 16.56 g. Head of Antiochus VII r. /Athena stg with Nike. Choice EF. Sharp.
CHOICE SHARP EXAMPLE! 7209. SELEUCID KINGS, ANTIOCHOS VII, 138-129 BC. AR Tetradrachm. 31 mm., 16.01 g. Head of Antiochus VII r. /Athena stg with Nike. Choice EF. Sharp.
10786. SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA, DEMETRIOS II, NIKATOR, Second reign, 129-125 BC. AR Tetradrachm (30mm, 16.70 g, 12h). Antioch mint. Diademed head right / Zeus Nikephoros seated left; Ξ to outer left, O below throne. SC 2166.2c; HGC 9, 1117b. Good VF, toned.
9394. SELEUCID KINGS, ANTIOCHOS VIII EPIPHANES (GRYPOS). 121-96 BC. AR Tetradrachm. 28 mm., 16.26 g. Sear 7143. Fine style hellenistic portrait r./Zeus stg. AEF.
8586. SELEUCID KINGS, ANTIOCHOS VIII, EPIPHANES (GRYPOS). 121-96 BC. AR Tetradrachm, 25 mm., 15.52 g. Sear 7143. His portrait head r./Zeus stg. with scepter and star within laurel wreath. EF. Old cabinet toning. A superb example of Hellenistic portrait art which renders with the greatest sensivity the likeness of this ruthless and complex king.
RARE VARIANT. PUBLISHED IN HOUGHTON 9424. SELEUKID, ANTIOCHOS IX, 113-95 BC. AE 20, Sear 7173. Winged bust Eros r./Nike advancing l. with wreath. VF. NOTE: According to Arthur Houghton and Oliver Hoover, authors of the standard catalog of Seleukid coins, this type normally has the date in the left field, but this example has it in the exergue, and bungled at that. The beta and sigma are backwards and the iota should precede the sigma on the left. A very rare variant thus and unpublished except in their book (this coin).
10503. SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. SELEUKOS VI EPIPHANES NIKATOR. Circa 96-94 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 15.60 g, 1h). Antioch mint. Struck circa 95/4 BC. Diademed head right / Zeus Nikephoros seated left, holding lotus-tipped scepter; A/(monogram)/A to outer left, A under throne; all within wreath. SC 2415d; HGC 9, 1270. Good VF, toned, minor porosity.
10872. SELEUCID KINGS, TIGRANES II, the Great, King of Armenia (95-56). Artaxata mint. Obv: Draped bust right, wearing five-pointed Armenian tiara. Rev: S L WS S L W G . Heracles, nude, lion's skin on the back, standing left, holding club with his right hand; in field left monogram, in right field. Bedoukian 101. Condition: Good very fine. Weight: 5.2 gm. Diameter: AE18 mm. Choice example with a clear excellent style portrait. Actually a more lifelike portrait than the silver tetradrachms. In 83 BC the Syrians, wearied by the endless fratricidal wars of the Seleukids, called upon Tigranes II, the King of Armenia, to restore order in their country. He defeated Philip and ruled the Syrian kingdom for the following fourteen years, issuing coins on the Seleukid pattern. Eventually he was driven out of Syria by the Roman general Lucullus.
SYRIA
GREAT CONTRASTING PATINA 10201. SYRIA, SELEUKIS AND PIERIA, ANTIOCH. 1st century BC. AE Tetrachalkon (19mm, 9.14 g, 2h). Laureate head of Zeus right / Zeus Nikephoros seated left; [date] in exergue. Cf. McAlee 30A-42A; HGC 9, 1371. VF, dark brown patina, lighter highlights. Choice example. Ex. Collection RW.
