Leu Numismatik AG
Web Auction 14 12-13 Dec 2020
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SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA. Antiochos XIII Philometor, circa 83/2-75 BC. Weight of 1 Mina (Lead, 98x100 mm, 575.00 g). BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOY - ΦΙΛOMHTO/POΣ MNA Seleukid anchor. Rev. Latticework design. Pondera 3521 and 3526 (attributed to either Antiochos VIII or Antiochos Philometor). Very rare and of great historical interest. Holed twice for suspension and with a flan crack, otherwise, very fine.
Antiochos Philometor is only known from a handful of extremely rare coins, which show him together with his mother, the infamous Ptolemaic Queen Kleopatra Selene (SC 2484-2486), and from his lead weights, of which this is the third known example. It has been suggested that the latter should be attributed to Antiochos VIII, thus recording an otherwise unknown epithet for this king. However, this seems unlikely and this cataloguer therefore prefers to assign them Kleopatra's son, the only Antiochos whose coins record the epithet 'Philometor'. We do not know when Antiochos Philometor died, but his mother's end came in 69 BC, when she was besieged by Tigranes II 'the Great' in Ake-Ptolemais and killed shortly thereafter.
Antiochos Philometor is only known from a handful of extremely rare coins, which show him together with his mother, the infamous Ptolemaic Queen Kleopatra Selene (SC 2484-2486), and from his lead weights, of which this is the third known example. It has been suggested that the latter should be attributed to Antiochos VIII, thus recording an otherwise unknown epithet for this king. However, this seems unlikely and this cataloguer therefore prefers to assign them Kleopatra's son, the only Antiochos whose coins record the epithet 'Philometor'. We do not know when Antiochos Philometor died, but his mother's end came in 69 BC, when she was besieged by Tigranes II 'the Great' in Ake-Ptolemais and killed shortly thereafter.