Obverse: Diademed bust of Ptolemy, right. Reverse: Standing eagle, left. - (C.9557)

Obverse: Diademed bust of Ptolemy, right. Reverse: Standing eagle, left. - (C.9557)   « Less

Obverse: Veiled Bust of the Arsinoe II Crowned with a Diadem. Reverse: Double Cornucopia Bound with a Fillet - (LC.155)

Obverse: Veiled Bust of the Arsinoe II Crowned with a Diadem. Reverse: Double Cornucopia Bound with a Fillet - (LC.155)   « Less

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  More »

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. Antiochus III, known as “the Great,” was the younger son of Seleukos II and brother of Seleukos III. A soldier of great ability, he successfully campaigned between 212 and 205 B.C. to restore Alexander’s empire in Judea from the clutches of Ptolemy V as well as the kingdoms of Parthia and Bactria. Later he was defeated by the Romans following their victory over Phillip V of Macedon in 197. 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.0136b)   « Less

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  More »

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. Antiochus III, known as “the Great,” was the younger son of Seleukos II and brother of Seleukos III. A soldier of great ability, he successfully campaigned between 212 and 205 B.C. to restore Alexander’s empire in Judea from the clutches of Ptolemy V as well as the kingdoms of Parthia and Bactria. Later he was defeated by the Romans following their victory over Phillip V of Macedon in 197. 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.138)   « Less

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  More »

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. Antiochus III, known as “the Great,” was the younger son of Seleukos II and brother of Seleukos III. A soldier of great ability, he successfully campaigned between 212 and 205 B.C. to restore Alexander’s empire in Judea from the clutches of Ptolemy V as well as the kingdoms of Parthia and Bactria. Later he was defeated by the Romans following their victory over Phillip V of Macedon in 197. 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.140)   « Less

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  More »

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. Antiochus III, known as “the Great,” was the younger son of Seleukos II and brother of Seleukos III. A soldier of great ability, he successfully campaigned between 212 and 205 B.C. to restore Alexander’s empire in Judea from the clutches of Ptolemy V as well as the kingdoms of Parthia and Bactria. Later he was defeated by the Romans following their victory over Phillip V of Macedon in 197. 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.173)   « Less

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  More »

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. The eldest son of Demetrios I, Demetrios II came to the throne in 146 B.C., after killing a pretender to the throne who had killed his father. Demetrios ruled a much reduced territory for six years, until he made war with Parthia and was taken prisoner. He was held hostage in luxury for ten years. In 129 B.C. he returned to Syria for a second reign that lasted until his death in 125 B.C. 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. The coins of Demetrios' first reign depicted a clean-shaven ruler who used the traditional Seleukid "Apollo-on-Omphalos" type on the reverse, but the coins of his second reign show clear evidence of his time in Parthia, for he wears the long hair and beard of Parthian fashion, which he apparently adopted in captivity. The type, presumably somewhat realistic, stands in sharp contrast to his predecessors' types, which are more idealized in the manner of portraits of Alexander the Great. The Zeus holding Nike on the reverse indicates that the Seleukids are reclaiming Zeus as a patron deity. The same reverse type had been used by Antiochos IV Epiphanes, who adopted Zeus as his patron deity, but it was usurped by the pretender Alexander Balas, who claimed to be the son of Antiochos. 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.392)   « Less

Seleukos I was one of the generals of Alexander the Great and assumed control of Babylon after Alexander's death. By degrees he became ruler of Alexander's eastern dominions  More »

Seleukos I was one of the generals of Alexander the Great and assumed control of Babylon after Alexander's death. By degrees he became ruler of Alexander's eastern dominions defeating his rivals Demetrios and Lysimachos. At its peak under Seleukos I and Antiochus I, the Seleukid Kingdom comprised almost the whole of the conquests of Alexander with the exception of Egypt. In 305/04 B.C. he assumed the title of basileus or king. Like the other successors of Alexander, Seleukos I initially issued coins with the types used in Alexander's coinage in order to bolster his legitimacy as a ruler through association. 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 one of Alexander the Great’s most successful generals and the kingdom he established passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation. - (C.393)   « Less

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  More »

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. Around 245 B.C., Seleukos III Soter, “the Savior,” son of Seleukos II Kallinikos found himself facing the daunting task of restoring to his empire the lands lost by Antiochos Hierax. At the youthful age of twenty-five, Seleukos raised an army for the unavoidable clash with the Attalid King Attalos I of Pergamon. At the same time, he dispatched his younger brother, Antiochos III, to maintain control of the eastern satrapies. In 224 B.C., Seleukos III crossed the Tauros River, into Attalid territory, and the battle with the Pergamene army began. It is believed the Attalids may have had support from Ptolemaic Egypt, who fought over territory with the Seleukids. It is unclear how the war played out, but in the summer of 223, for reasons that are now lost to history, a conspiracy involving a Macedonian officer and a Galatian chieftain claimed the life of the young king. With the sudden poisoning death of his elder brother, the royal authority fell to the youthful Antiochos III and his guardian, Achaios. 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.545)   « Less

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  More »

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. Around 245 B.C., Seleukos III Soter, “the Savior,” son of Seleukos II Kallinikos found himself facing the daunting task of restoring to his empire the lands lost by Antiochos Hierax. At the youthful age of twenty-five, Seleukos raised an army for the unavoidable clash with the Attalid King Attalos I of Pergamon. At the same time, he dispatched his younger brother, Antiochos III, to maintain control of the eastern satrapies. In 224 B.C., Seleukos III crossed the Tauros River, into Attalid territory, and the battle with the Pergamene army began. It is believed the Attalids may have had support from Ptolemaic Egypt, who fought over territory with the Seleukids. It is unclear how the war played out, but in the summer of 223, for reasons that are now lost to history, a conspiracy involving a Macedonian officer and a Galatian chieftain claimed the life of the young king. With the sudden poisoning death of his elder brother, the royal authority fell to the youthful Antiochos III and his guardian, Achaios. 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.546)   « Less