Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VII Sidetes BCE 138-129

 AE 14 mm, 2.78 g, Antioch mint SE 177/BCE 136-135

SC 2068.4, HSC 1096 (S)

O: lion hd r., dotted border.

   
R:    BAΣΙΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY in two lines on r., EYEPΓETOY on l., vertical club.,
Date lower field IOP


No visible controls.

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus IV Epiphanes BCE 175-164

AE Chalkous, 15 mm, 2.63 g., perhaps Samaria mint c. BCE 168-164

SC 1489 v, HSC 638a (S)

O: radiate diademed hd r, one diad end falling straight behind and the other falls over shoulder. Fillet border. mark of value behind hd A/X

R:  ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ  on r., ANTI[OXOY] on left. goddess std l., on high backed throne, holding Nike, bird standing l, at feet. dotted border.

Controls: none or none visible on this example.

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VII Sidetes BCE 138-129

A pair of Eros/Isis bronzes

Antiochus VII minted in Antioch dated SE 182

AE 17 mm, 6.14 g, Antioch mint  SE 182/BCE 131-130

SC 2067.20d, HSC 1087 (C)

O: Bust of winged Eros r., dotted border

R: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY in two lines on r., EYEPΓETOY on l., Isis headress.

Control (outer l.) ΔI in monogram, symbol outer l, below: cornucopiae

Date in ex: BΠP

Antiochus VII minted in Antioch dated SE 177

AE 18 mm, 6.17 g, Antioch mint  SE 177/BCE 136-135

SC 2067.9d, HSC 1087 (C)

O: Bust of winged Eros r., dotted border

R: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY in two lines on r., EYEPΓETOY on l., Isis headress.

Control (outer l.) ΔI in monogram, symbol below main type: star

Date in ex: IOP

Islamic/Mughal India

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Muhi id-din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I (1658-1707 CE)

AR Rupee,  24 mm   11.47 g , Khanbayat mint   AH 1118 Regnal 51 (April 1706-March 1707)

KM 300.51

O: Aurangzeb ‘Alamgir (1118)

     Shah

     Zad chobadr munir

     Sikka

     Dar Jahan

   

R: Manus

     Maymanat

     Sannah 51 jalus

     Duriba

     khanbayat

Ex: Stephen Album Rare Coins item #807797

Ex William F. Spengler (1923-2005) Collection

Ex: William B. Warden Jr (1947-2000) Numismatist stock # 89006815

Ex  Virgil M Brand (1862-1926) Collection

Likely sold by Spink 50 (6-7 Mar 1986)

With Brand’s own cabinet card (see below)

Virgil Brand a very successful brewer in Chicago, amassed an immense collection of over 300,000 coins...Reclusive in his habits, he would study the coins he loved so well in his apartment above the brewery, notating descriptions and prices paid in his volumes of ledgers. From before the turn of the century until his death in 1926, he added, on an average, about 10,000 coins each year, including many important coins of antiquity as well as of the United States, medieval times and of the world in general. (p. 123 of Bromberg I catalog, 1991)

                                                Virgil Brand

Ex:  William Theobald (1829-1908) Sale, 1901 (per Brand card) the sale was held by Sotheby, 15 July 1901, William Theobald of Budleigh Salterton; Oriental, 231 lots. thanks to Curtis Clay for providing this information.  (cf. wikipedia entry for Wm. Theobald English Naturalist)   According to Prof. T.V. Buttrey who was kind enough to provide the following information: "However on the title page the collection comprised 'Many fine and rare Specimens of the Durrani, Monguls of Delhi, Taimurids, Monguls of Hindustan, Rajas of Assam, White Huns, Kings of Arrakan, Khalsa Confederacy, Guptas, Indo-Scythians, Pathan Sultans of Hindustan, Pathans of Bengal, Bactrian, Sassanian, and other Dynasties.'"

 Geological Survey of India in late 19th Century


 

Brand Cabinet Card illustrated below:

20110603

INDIA, MUGHAL, Shah Jahan, 1628-59, AR rupee (11.3g/26mm) 1039 AH year 2 month of Bahman (1630-1631 CE) Patna mint,  K222.13

O: Shihab ed-din Muhammad Shah Jahan badshah ghazi sahib quiran sani
R: Kalima / zarb patna sanah 2 ilahi mah bahman (minting of patna year 2 divine month Bahman).

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus III BCE 222-187

AR Drachm, 18 mm, 4.21 g, Soli mint BCE 197-187

SC 1023.1, WSM 1283 (same dies), HSC 452a (R2), CSE 514 (this coin), CSE II, 230 (same dies)


cf. Houghton, A. "The Royal Seleucid Mint of Soli" NC 1989, page 16. This coin noted as #5 from Series I, Group A of which there are three examples listed in Drachm denomination.  #4 appears to be CSE II, 230 now, #5 is as noted, and #6  is Newell's example at the ANS.


O: diad. hd in advanced middle age, diad ends falling straight behind.
R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [A]NTIOXOY, Apollo slight drapery on r thigh, std l, on omphalos, testing arrow and resting l hand on grounded bow.  controls on outer r and l. 

EX: Arthur Houghton Collection CSE 514


EX:  WKR Collection

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus IV Epiphanes BCE 175-164

AE 15 mm, 1.74 g., Tyre mint BCE 175-c. 168

SC 1470, Handbook of Syrian Coins 724 (S-R1)

O: diad hd of king r., one diadem end flying up behind, the other falling forward over shoulder, dotted border.

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (curving) on r., ANTIOXOY (curving) on l. palm tree, dotted border.  No Controls. 

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus IV Epiphanes BCE 175-164

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AE 21 mm, 6.56 g, 12h, Byblos mint BCE 168-164

SC 1444.1, Handbook of Syrian Coins  663 (R2)

O: radiate diad hd of king r., one diadem end flying up behind, the other falling forward over shoulder, dotted border.

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (curving) on r., ANTIOXOY (curving) on l. in Phoenician across upper field “L’Gebal” (of Gebal) in ex., “Qdsh” (the holy), six winged Kronos-El stg l., holding was-sceptre, dotted border.

Palestinians find ancient coin hoard in Gaza

GAZA CITY — The Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities in Gaza on Monday announced the discovery of ancient artifacts near the Egyptian border town of Rafah.

"The most important of the findings are 1,300 antique silver coins, both large and small," said Mohammed al-Agha, tourism and antiquities minister in the Islamist-run government.

He said archaeologists had also uncovered a black basalt grinder, a coin with a cross etched on it, and the remains of walls and arches believed to have been built in 320 BC.

They also discovered a "mysterious" underground compartment with a blocked entrance that appeared to be a tomb, Agha said.

(for the remainder of the article, please check the link below)

The coins appear to be 4th cent. BCE Gazan copies of Athenian Owls from the photo provided....to be updated with additional postings....

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved (photo AFP also)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRXo1fCXa2CmsXDPI_VJTdvsYaQw

link:

New General Text for Seleucid Coins

http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=155643

Click the link to go to the CNG page to see a fuller write up regarding this text and to order it if you are interested. I received it a couple weeks ago and find it a good addition to the study particularly in rating the respective rarity (C, S, R1, R2, R3--cf. the June 2008 Celator article by Arthur Houghton and David Hendin if you are interested, though Houghton's portion of the article is reprinted in this text) of the issues described. Granted, this is a general study linked to SC numbers and therefore the text does not describe the rarity of a particular subtype for a common issue for example. There are a few typos such as the mix up of numbers for the bronzes of Timarchus, but overall these are just a distraction from the overall value of the book. A separate website with the catalog number linked value ranges for the described coins is an improvement over now dated catalogues such as Sear's GCV and promises to provide regular updates that should keep this text updated for the forseeable future. I did note that a couple values appear to be in error (specifically a bronze of Antiochus VI for example) but these can be easily corrected in future updates (#1054 in the catalogue =SC 2025 is listed as being $400-$600 in the lowest condition when it should likely be $40-$60 and $3000-$5000 in the best condition when that should likely be $300-$500).

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius I Soter BCE 162-150

AE 20 mm, 7.79 g, Tyre mint   SE 154=BCE 159/8

SC 1671, SNG Spaer 1314-1318, Newell Tyre 47

O : diad hd of Demetrius r., one diadem end flying up behind, the other falling forward over shoulder, dotted border.

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY in two lines above, TYPIΩN and Phoenician inscription “of Tyre” in two lines in ex., stern of galley, date above, dotted border.

Date above stern: LΔNP

Controls: none

Coins of the Seleucid Empire from the collection of Arthur Houghton (Ancient coins in North American collections) 

Seleucid Coins 2: A Comprehensive Guide. Part 2: Seleucus IV through Antiochus XIII

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus I Soter BCE 280-261

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AR Drachm, 18 mm, 3.98 g., Seleucia on the Tigris mint, BCE c. 278-274 (per Newell)

ESM 158, SC 380.2b

O: diad. Hd of Antiochus I, r, dotted border.

R: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ on the r., ANTIOXOY on the l., Apollo, slight drapery on r.thigh std l., on omphalos, testing arrow and resting l., hand on grounded bow.

Controls on outer r and l. 

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VI Dionysus BCE 144-142

AE 20 mm, 4.46 g, Antioch mint

Winterthur III, 5012, SC 2007b (this coin)

O: Radiate and diademed hd of king r., one diadem tie falling forward over shoulder, dotted border.

R: [BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ/A]NTIOXOY in two lines above panther, [E]ΠΙΦANOYΣ/ [ΔI]ONYΣOY in two lines below, panther stg l., foreleg raised, head facing, broken spear in mouth.

Primary control above panther’s tail: ΣTA

Secondary control: palm branch

Planchet appears to have been broken in antiquity.

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VI Epiphanes Dionysus BCE 144-142

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AE 15 mm, 2.9 g, Probably Ptolemaϊs Ake mint

SC 2025, CSE 252-253, SNG Spaer 1789-1793v

O: Radiate and diademed hd of king r., one diadem tie falling forward over shoulder, dotted border.

R: [BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ/A]NTIOXOY in two lines above horse, [E]ΠΙΦANOYΣ/ [ΔI]ONYΣOY in two lines below. Horse stg l foreleg raised.

Control on r: A over B

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus V Eupator BCE 164-162

AR Tetradrachm, 33 mm, 16.5 g, Antioch mint

SC 1575.10, CSE 138, SMA 77

O: diad hd of Antiochus V r., diadem ends falling straight behind, fillet border.

R: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r., ANTIOXOY on l, EYΠATOPOΣ in ex., Zeus enthroned l., resting on scepter and holding Nike who crowns royal name, monogram HP control on outer left.

Ex: Noble Numismatics Pty Ltd (Australia) 75 (Mar/Apr 2004) lot 1842

Ex: Noble Numismatics Pty Ltd (Australia) 64 (July 2000) lot 2310

Description from catalogue:

"SYRIA, Kingdom of, Antiochus V, (164-162 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (16.504 grams), Antioch mint, obv. diademed head of Antiochus V to right, fillet border, rev. Zeus seated left on throne, holding Nike in outstretched hand and sceptre, on right, **BASILEOS and to left **ANTIOCOU and **EUPATORO[S] in exergue, HP monogram in left field, (S.7004, Newell SMA 77, ACNAC Houghton 138, SNG Spaer (Israel I) -). Minor surface marks, otherwise very fine and rare.

Newell notes only the Ward specimen (787) in all the public and private collections."

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius II Second Reign, BCE 129-125

AR Tetradrachm, 28 mm, 13.86 g., 12h, Tyre mint, SE 186=BCE 127/6

SC 2195.4b, Newell Tyre 173

O: diad., draped bust r, beardless, dotted border.

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (curving) on r., ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ on l., eagle stg l on ship’s ram, palm branch under far wing, dotted border.

Mintmarks: A/PE above club surmounted by monogram TYP in l. field and AΣin r. field above with date CΠΡ

Control, between eagle’s legs, monogram ΓΗΡ

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius III Eucaerus BCE 97/6-88/7

AE 20 mm, 5.63 g, Damascus mint, SE 217=BCE 96/5

SC 2455.1

O: diad. hd of Demetrius r, bearded, dotted border.

R: BACIΛΕΩC ΔHMHTPIOV ΘEOV in three lines on r., ΦΙΛΟΠATOPOC CΩTHPOC in two lines on l., Hermes stg facing holding palm and caduceus, dotted border.

Controls on outer left one above and one below and HΔ monogram in ex. on rt. date on l., in ex. ΖΙΣ

Hermann Weber Collection in 3 Volumes

The three volume set of the Sir Hermann Weber Collection is available via the Internet Archive and can be found on the left side of this page under links. The volumes are all complete except for the plates which are unfortunately not included.

Without the plates these books are an interesting curiosity more so than a resource. If the plates are added in the future I will upload links to those as well.

Vol. I. Introduction: [Notes culled from "Autobiographical reminiscences of Sir Hermann Weber... " London, Priv. print., 1919] Auriol find class. Hispania. Gallia. Britannia. Italy and Sicily. --

Vol. II. Macedon. Thrace. Thessaly. North western, central and southern Greece. --

Vol. III. pt. I. Asia: Bosporus. Colchis. Pontus. Paphlagonia. Bythynia. Mysia. Troas. Aeolis. Lesbos. Ionia. Caria. Lydia.

Vol. III. pt. II. Asia: Phrygia. Lycia. Pamphylia. Pisidia. Cilicia. Cyprus. Galatia. Cappadocia. Syria. Phoenicia. Palestine. Arabia. Mesopotamia. Persia. Persis. Characene. Bactria. Africa: Egypt. Cyrenaica. Libya. Zeugitana. Islands between Africa and Sicily. Numidia. Mauretania. Incerta

Jacob Hirsch Auction Catalogues Available

For those of you interested in old auction catalogues, Google Books has provided four classic catalogues for us to utilize without ever leaving the comfort of our homes. Please note the links on the far left side of this page, which will take you to the respective catalogues.

As more become available we will create links to those as well.

The most important of the four is the Rhousopoulos Auction catalogue from 1905 that sells when available for US$1,200 or more. Now it is available complete with plates for only the time it takes to locate the link.

I wish to thank Ed Snible's site http://digitalhn.blogspot.com/ for first posting this information.