ANTIOCHUS IV SILVER DRACHM – ACADEMICALLY IMPORT ISSUE OF EASTERN ISSUE – GOOD VF GREEK SELEUCID COIN (Inv. 20815)

$550.00

20815. SYRIA. SELEUKID KINGDOM. ANTIOCHUS IV, 175–164 BC.
Silver Drachm, 4.05 g, 16 mm. Unattributed Eastern issue.
Obv. Diademed head of Antiochus IV right. Rev. BACIΛEWC ANTIOΧOY, Apollo seated left on omphalos, testing arrow and resting left hand on grounded bow, AP monogram in outer right field.
SC 1564; HGC 9, 623g.
Good VF.

Although initially included among the drachms of Ecbatana in Le Rider’s “Suse” (p 29, B4), the unusual epigraphy of the royal title (including not only lunate omega, but two different non–standard forms of sigma!) caused this rare issue to be listed as an unattributed eastern issue in Seleucid Coins (SC). The particularly sharp monogram on this example shows that it is formed by the ligature of alpha and rho. The less clear specimen in “Suse” and SC led to the erroneous description of the monogram as a lambda.