Nomos 37

SELEUKID KINGS. Antiochos XI & Philip I, circa 95/4-94/3 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 12 h), uncertain mint 127 in Cilicia, probably Tarsos, 94-93. Diademed, bearded and jugate heads of the brothers Antiochos XI and Philip I to right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΙΣ / ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ // ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ Zeus Nikephoros seated to left on backless throne, holding a lotus-tipped scepter with his left hand and, in his right, Nike bearing a wreath to crown him; in the outer left field, C/Φ/ω above an Λ containing a pellet; below throne, Λ containing a pellet; all within a laurel wreath tied at the bottom. HGC 9, 1296 = Jameson 1761 = SC 2437 (same obverse die). Very rare. A coin with very realistic portraits (others have much more idealized ones). Minor marks, otherwise, good extremely fine.

From the collection of a European Savant.

The late Seleukids were basically a nasty, fractious bunch who spent much of their time trying, and often succeeding, in killing each other. While some versions of this double portrait (as SC 2438) provide us with idealised, 'Greek' heads, recalling their supposed direct ancestry back to Seleukos I, this piece gives us portraits that look as if they stepped out of a recruitment poster for a terrorist organisation! In any case,in 93 BC Antiochos XI drowned in the Orontes after his defeat by his cousin Antiochos X; as for Philip I, he seems to have died either in 83 or 75 BC!