Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 138 18-19 May 2023
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Seleucus II Callinicus, 246 – 226.
Stater, Ecbatana circa 235, AV 8.48 g. Diademed head r. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ – ΣEΛEYKOY Apollo standing l., holding arrow and shield set on ground; in inner l. field, monogram and horse head l.; in outer r. field, monogram. SC 809.2 (these dies). Houghton, The Tarik Darreh (Kangavar) Hoard, ANSMN 25 (1980), 22 (this coin). CSE 1152 (these dies).
Extremely rare, only five specimens known with these monograms.
Minor marks, otherwise good very fine / very fine
Ex M&M Fixed price List 388, 1977, 3; M&M Fixed Price List 417, 1979, 14; NFA VIII, 1980, 333; CNG XXVI, 1993, 131 and Triton II, 1998, 473 sales. From the Tarik Darreh hoard, 1974 (Coin Hoards II, 70). From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
This extremely rare gold stater was almost certainly struck at Ecbatana in order to finance the great Parthian campaign undertaken by Seleucus II around 228 BC. The earlier part of his reign had been a fairly unmitigated disaster, which had caused Seleucid authority to collapse at its eastern edges. Upon his succession in 246 BC, Seleucus II was plunged into the Third Syrian War (246-241 BC), which saw large parts of coastal Asia Minor, Syria, and even Babylonia overrun by the forces of Ptolemy III Euergetes. Once a modicum of peace with the Ptolemaic kingdom was restored, Seleucus II then had to deal with his younger brother Antiochus Hierax. He had appointed the latter to serve as governor in western Asia Minor while he faced off against Ptolemy III, but at the end of the Third Syrian War, Hierax claimed the kingship for himself. This usurpation ignited a civil war known as the War of the Brothers and saw Seleucus II soundly defeated at the battle of Ancyra in c. 237 BC. While all this chaos reigned in the western regions of the Seleucid Empire, Andragoras, the Seleucid satrap of Parthia followed the example of the Diodotids in Bactria and claimed independence. However, shortly thereafter his satrapy was overrun by the nomadic Parni-a Central Asian people who took over Parthia and subsequently became known as the Parthians. The Parthians posed a threat, not only to Bactria, but to the Iranian satrapies of the Seleucid Empire, which still remained loyal to Seleucus II. Having been essentially shut out of the West by his brother, Seleucus II turned his attention to solving the problems of the East and pushing back the Parthian advance. In this project he enjoyed some initial success, for which he gained the epithet Callinicus ("of the Beautiful Victory"). Unfortunately, he was forced to call off the campaign after Antiochus Hierax mounted an invasion of Mesopotamia. This attack was ultimately thwarted, but the diversion of Seleucus' attention permitted the Parthians to regain all that the king had won back. In 227 BC, Hierax was driven out of Asia Minor by Attalus I of Pergamum and soon killed by Galatian mercenaries. Seleucus II immediately began military preparations to reclaim the territory from Attalus, but the hapless Seleucid king died after a fall from his horse in 226 BC. It was only later, during the early reign of Antiochus III (222-187 BC) that the disasters of Seleucus II's reign were rectified. Alas, the restoration of the Seleucid west was immediately undone by Antiochus' failed war against the Romans in 192-188 BC). The present gold stater features a somewhat unjustly smug-looking portrait of Seleucus II on the obverse with the ends of his diadem clearly blowing in the wind, although his coiffure seems otherwise untouched. The reverse depicts a standing Apollo testing an arrow and resting his other hand on a grounded bow. For reasons that still remain unclear, Seleucus II departed from the traditional dynastic Seleucid type of Apollo seated on the omphalos for his coinage and instead adopted a standing version of the Seleucid divine patron, sometimes shown as here, or leaning against a tall tripod. Antiochus Hierax, on the other hand retained the usual Apollo on omphalos type. The mint of Ecbatana appears to have been more conservative than most, with early gold and silver issues struck in the name of Seleucus II featuring the traditional Seleucid reverse. This gold stater marks the first time that Seleucus II's more personal Apollo type was adopted at Ecbatana.
Stater, Ecbatana circa 235, AV 8.48 g. Diademed head r. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ – ΣEΛEYKOY Apollo standing l., holding arrow and shield set on ground; in inner l. field, monogram and horse head l.; in outer r. field, monogram. SC 809.2 (these dies). Houghton, The Tarik Darreh (Kangavar) Hoard, ANSMN 25 (1980), 22 (this coin). CSE 1152 (these dies).
Extremely rare, only five specimens known with these monograms.
Minor marks, otherwise good very fine / very fine
Ex M&M Fixed price List 388, 1977, 3; M&M Fixed Price List 417, 1979, 14; NFA VIII, 1980, 333; CNG XXVI, 1993, 131 and Triton II, 1998, 473 sales. From the Tarik Darreh hoard, 1974 (Coin Hoards II, 70). From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
This extremely rare gold stater was almost certainly struck at Ecbatana in order to finance the great Parthian campaign undertaken by Seleucus II around 228 BC. The earlier part of his reign had been a fairly unmitigated disaster, which had caused Seleucid authority to collapse at its eastern edges. Upon his succession in 246 BC, Seleucus II was plunged into the Third Syrian War (246-241 BC), which saw large parts of coastal Asia Minor, Syria, and even Babylonia overrun by the forces of Ptolemy III Euergetes. Once a modicum of peace with the Ptolemaic kingdom was restored, Seleucus II then had to deal with his younger brother Antiochus Hierax. He had appointed the latter to serve as governor in western Asia Minor while he faced off against Ptolemy III, but at the end of the Third Syrian War, Hierax claimed the kingship for himself. This usurpation ignited a civil war known as the War of the Brothers and saw Seleucus II soundly defeated at the battle of Ancyra in c. 237 BC. While all this chaos reigned in the western regions of the Seleucid Empire, Andragoras, the Seleucid satrap of Parthia followed the example of the Diodotids in Bactria and claimed independence. However, shortly thereafter his satrapy was overrun by the nomadic Parni-a Central Asian people who took over Parthia and subsequently became known as the Parthians. The Parthians posed a threat, not only to Bactria, but to the Iranian satrapies of the Seleucid Empire, which still remained loyal to Seleucus II. Having been essentially shut out of the West by his brother, Seleucus II turned his attention to solving the problems of the East and pushing back the Parthian advance. In this project he enjoyed some initial success, for which he gained the epithet Callinicus ("of the Beautiful Victory"). Unfortunately, he was forced to call off the campaign after Antiochus Hierax mounted an invasion of Mesopotamia. This attack was ultimately thwarted, but the diversion of Seleucus' attention permitted the Parthians to regain all that the king had won back. In 227 BC, Hierax was driven out of Asia Minor by Attalus I of Pergamum and soon killed by Galatian mercenaries. Seleucus II immediately began military preparations to reclaim the territory from Attalus, but the hapless Seleucid king died after a fall from his horse in 226 BC. It was only later, during the early reign of Antiochus III (222-187 BC) that the disasters of Seleucus II's reign were rectified. Alas, the restoration of the Seleucid west was immediately undone by Antiochus' failed war against the Romans in 192-188 BC). The present gold stater features a somewhat unjustly smug-looking portrait of Seleucus II on the obverse with the ends of his diadem clearly blowing in the wind, although his coiffure seems otherwise untouched. The reverse depicts a standing Apollo testing an arrow and resting his other hand on a grounded bow. For reasons that still remain unclear, Seleucus II departed from the traditional dynastic Seleucid type of Apollo seated on the omphalos for his coinage and instead adopted a standing version of the Seleucid divine patron, sometimes shown as here, or leaning against a tall tripod. Antiochus Hierax, on the other hand retained the usual Apollo on omphalos type. The mint of Ecbatana appears to have been more conservative than most, with early gold and silver issues struck in the name of Seleucus II featuring the traditional Seleucid reverse. This gold stater marks the first time that Seleucus II's more personal Apollo type was adopted at Ecbatana.