AR Tetradrachm (16.89 gm, 28 mm). Susa mint. After BCE 220
O:Diademed head right
R:Apollo seated left on omphalos, holding arrow and bow; monograms to outer left and right of ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ANTIOXO[Y] .
SC 1069.3b (this coin); CSE 1051 (this coin).
Dealer notes: “A very rare coin with a superb pedigree. Very nice Eastern style.”
EX: Susiana Hoard (1965?) IGCH 1806 deposition after BCE 138
Reported in Un trésor de monnaies hellénistiques trouvé près de Suse in Revue Numismatique 1966 Houghton/LeRider pp. 111-127, illus. Plate 4, 112.2 (this coin) 16.89 g
EX: Arthur Houghton Collection SC 1069.3b, CSE 1051 (this coin in both)
EX: WKR Collection
EX: Eukratides Ancient Numismatics (Dr. Brad Bowlin) (MS/USA)
Acquisition: 2008
O:Diademed head right
R:Apollo seated left on omphalos, holding arrow and bow; monograms to outer left and right of ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ANTIOXO[Y] .
SC 1069.3b (this coin); CSE 1051 (this coin).
Dealer notes: “A very rare coin with a superb pedigree. Very nice Eastern style.”
EX: Susiana Hoard (1965?) IGCH 1806 deposition after BCE 138
Reported in Un trésor de monnaies hellénistiques trouvé près de Suse in Revue Numismatique 1966 Houghton/LeRider pp. 111-127, illus. Plate 4, 112.2 (this coin) 16.89 g
EX: Arthur Houghton Collection SC 1069.3b, CSE 1051 (this coin in both)
EX: WKR Collection
EX: Eukratides Ancient Numismatics (Dr. Brad Bowlin) (MS/USA)
Acquisition: 2008
RN 1966 (p. 112) Houghton/LeRider reported the following:
Antiochos III (223-187) : 7 exemplaires.
2. Suse : 16.89, ->, pl. IV (coll. Houghton).
Au droit, l'un des fanons du diadème paraît se relever derrière la tête et la bordure est formée d'un grènetis. Au revers, à g. ext. --, à dr. ext. -- (monograms-jg) Í grènetis. Cette pièce constitue une variété nouvelle. Le monogramme de g. peut être rapproché de celui qui figure sur le tétradrachme susien du trésor de Failaka, cf. Suse, p. 53. Le monogramme de dr. rappelle celui de monnaies de bronze frappées à Suse sous Séleucos II ou Séleucos III, cf. Suse, p. 52, n° 27. Le non-ajustement des coins et la présence d'un grènetis au droit et au revers sont habituels à Suse à cette époque.
In Houghton/Lorber (part I, Vol. I, p. 357) they note that "Antiochus III commemorated his recovery of Susa with an issue of gold staters and by the addition of a horn to his portrait on both silver and bronze." This coin does bear the small horn above the ear and thus likely dates the coin to circa BCE 220-211/208 possibly.
On page 101 of the CSE (1983) Houghton states the following about the history of the mint of Susa:
Shortly after the assertion of his claim to rule the empire of Alexander in the east, and possibly in connection with his eastern campaigns, Seleucus I began issuing coins in his own name at Susa, which he renamed Seleucia on the Eulaeus. Thereafter Susa struck continuously as a Seleucid mint until the occupation of the city by the Elymaean ruler Kamnaskires I c. 147 B.C. Demetrius II regained Susa, issuing a brief coinage of tetradrachms c. 145 B.C. before the city was retaken by Kamnaskires. It fell briefly under Parthian rule, then was occupied c. 130 B.C. by Antiochus VII before finally falling to the Parthians.
photo (from plate 63) and excerpt (from p. 105) from CSE (1983) for this coin.
