Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XVI 26 Sep 2018
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Karia, Antioch ad Maeandrum AR Tetradrachm. Circa 165-145 BC. Stephanophoric type. Eunikos, magistrate. Bearded head of Zeus right, wearing laurel wreath / Zebu bull standing to left, head facing, before small female figure standing right, wearing long chiton; ANTIOXEΩN TΩN ΠPOΣ TΩ in two lines above, MAIANΔPΩΣ to right, EVNIKOΣ in exergue, all within laurel wreath. BMC -; Leschhorn, Lexicon of Greek Coin Inscriptions -; McClean -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG Lockett -; SNG von Aulock -; Weber -; CNG 108, 230. 16.00g, 27mm, 12h.
Near Extremely Fine. Of the highest rarity - the finest of two known examples.
The city of Antioch ad Maeandrum is not to be confused with the more famous Antioch ad Orontes, capital of the western Seleukid Empire, and indeed the legend of this coin makes this abundantly clear: "Of the people of Antioch by the Maeander". The city was located on high ground overlooking the plain of the Maeander at its confluence with the Morsynus, near the eastern end of the Maeander valley. Founded on the south bank of the river, by the time of Strabo it had grown across both banks, and controlled a strategically important crossing (cf. Strabo 13.4.15). Probably founded by AntIochos I, little to nothing of importance occurred at this city of which records have survived, however the bridge is explicitly depicted on the city's Roman-era coinage.
While no Seleukid issues are currently attributed to this Antioch, there are many unattributed western issues from the reigns of Antiochos I through Antiochos III, so the possibility that it may have struck coinage during this period cannot be excluded. The present series probably commenced after the Third Macedonian War, when large parts of the Rhodian Peraia in Karia were separated from the territory of Rhodes and given liberty by the Roman Senate (168/7 BC) as punishment to the city-state of Rhodes, which in Rome's view had been a little too friendly with the defeated Macedonian king. Because subsequent issues bear an abbreviated legend ("of the people of Antioch"), and due to the Stephanophoric type of the reverse (a common feature of mid-2nd century Hellenistic coinage in Asia Minor), this issue has been hypothesised to be the earliest of Antioch's civic silver coinage.
Near Extremely Fine. Of the highest rarity - the finest of two known examples.
The city of Antioch ad Maeandrum is not to be confused with the more famous Antioch ad Orontes, capital of the western Seleukid Empire, and indeed the legend of this coin makes this abundantly clear: "Of the people of Antioch by the Maeander". The city was located on high ground overlooking the plain of the Maeander at its confluence with the Morsynus, near the eastern end of the Maeander valley. Founded on the south bank of the river, by the time of Strabo it had grown across both banks, and controlled a strategically important crossing (cf. Strabo 13.4.15). Probably founded by AntIochos I, little to nothing of importance occurred at this city of which records have survived, however the bridge is explicitly depicted on the city's Roman-era coinage.
While no Seleukid issues are currently attributed to this Antioch, there are many unattributed western issues from the reigns of Antiochos I through Antiochos III, so the possibility that it may have struck coinage during this period cannot be excluded. The present series probably commenced after the Third Macedonian War, when large parts of the Rhodian Peraia in Karia were separated from the territory of Rhodes and given liberty by the Roman Senate (168/7 BC) as punishment to the city-state of Rhodes, which in Rome's view had been a little too friendly with the defeated Macedonian king. Because subsequent issues bear an abbreviated legend ("of the people of Antioch"), and due to the Stephanophoric type of the reverse (a common feature of mid-2nd century Hellenistic coinage in Asia Minor), this issue has been hypothesised to be the earliest of Antioch's civic silver coinage.