Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 91 2 Dec 2021
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Seleukid Empire, Antiochos I Soter, with Seleukos I Nikator, AR Hemidrachm. Coregency issue. Drangiana, circa 294-281 BC. Head of hero to right, assimilating Seleukos, Alexander and Dionysos, wearing helmet covered with panther skin and adorned with bull's ears and horns, lion skin tied around neck / Nike standing to right, crowning trophy; ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟ[Υ] to left, [ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ] to right, unclear symbol between Nike and trophy. SC 227; Houghton, SNR 59, 15-16, pl. 2, 9-10. 1.77g, 14mm, 6h.
Good Fine. An excessively rare variety of an already extremely rare denomination, only two examples with ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ to left were known to Houghton and there are none in CoinArchives.
The silver Nike-trophy type coinage in the name of Antiochos are attributed to the period of coregency with his father Seleukos, and their mint is believed to be in the satrapy of Drangiana. Houghton and Lorber (SC, pp. 88-89) contend that this issue "is evidence that Seleukid authority was still recognised in Drangiana after the treaty with Chandragupta (c. 305)... the controls of this trophy coinage cannot be accounted for as mere imitations, but seem to attest to the operation of an official mint." During the coregency, Antiochos governed the eastern parts of the empire, pursuing a policy of colonisation and the improvement of existing cities. Hence, an issue taking as its prototype the Susa Nike-Trophy type of Seleukos is most plausibly attributed to the coregency period than the years after the death of Seleukos, when Antiochos was occupied in the west.
Good Fine. An excessively rare variety of an already extremely rare denomination, only two examples with ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ to left were known to Houghton and there are none in CoinArchives.
The silver Nike-trophy type coinage in the name of Antiochos are attributed to the period of coregency with his father Seleukos, and their mint is believed to be in the satrapy of Drangiana. Houghton and Lorber (SC, pp. 88-89) contend that this issue "is evidence that Seleukid authority was still recognised in Drangiana after the treaty with Chandragupta (c. 305)... the controls of this trophy coinage cannot be accounted for as mere imitations, but seem to attest to the operation of an official mint." During the coregency, Antiochos governed the eastern parts of the empire, pursuing a policy of colonisation and the improvement of existing cities. Hence, an issue taking as its prototype the Susa Nike-Trophy type of Seleukos is most plausibly attributed to the coregency period than the years after the death of Seleukos, when Antiochos was occupied in the west.