Antiochus VIII, nicknamed Grypus (meaning “hook-nose”) was the son of King Demetrius II Nicator and Queen Cleopatra Thea. As a child, he was crowned king in 125 B.C. after his older brother Seleucus V Philometor was killed, and ruled alongside his mother. In 123 B.C., he defeated the usurper Alexander II Zabinas, who claimed to be a relitive of King Alexander Balas and ignited a civil war with the support of Egypt to avenge the invasion of their lands by Demetrius. Eventually, strife between the two kingdoms would settle and Antiochus married the Egyptian princess Tryphaena. In 116 B.C., Antiochus IX Cyzicenus returned from exile with claims to the throne and another civil war began. In the end, the lands of Syria were divided between the two kings.
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 contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural details that are often lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. Antiochos sought to restore his empire to its original glory achieved under his father’s rule. However, more than just a memorial to Antiochos VIII, this coin is a gorgeous artifact commemorating the greater Seleukid kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation. - (C.4213)

Antique Coins
Ancient coins