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Greek Coins :
Seleucid Coins : Seleucid Silver Tetradrachm of Antiochus VIII
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Seleucid Silver Tetradrachm of Antiochus VIII - C.4138
Origin: Minted in Antioch
Circa: 121
BC
to 113
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$1,650.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Obverse: Diademed Head of the King Facing
Right
Reverse: Zeus Oranios Standing to the Left,
Holding a Star and Sceptre
The Seleukid Kingdom was established by
Seleukos I, one of the generals of Alexander the
Great, following the death of Alexander and the
division of his empire. At its peak under
Seleukos I and Antiochus I, the Seleucid Kingdom
comprised almost the whole of the conquests of
Alexander with the exception of Egypt. Son of
Antiochus VII and Cleopatra, Antiochus IX ruled
from 113-95 B.C. He spent much of his reign at
war with his half brother Antiochus VIII, who was
murdered in 96 B.C. Captured in Antioch in 113,
Antiochus was murdered by his nephew,
Seleukos VI, to avenge the death of his father.
Antiochus’ murder would in turn be vindicated
with the defeat of Seleukos VI by his son
Antiochus X. During these years of bitter family
feuding, the Seleukid Kingdom rapidly declined
from one of the largest empires into a minor east
Mediterranean state.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether currency in
the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten
empire. This ancient coin is more than an
artifact; it is a memorial to a lost kingdom
passed from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.4138)
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