Rare Bearded Portrait

Sale: CNG 79, Lot: 417. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2008.  Sold For $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Demetrios I Soter. 162-150 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.49 g, 1h). Antioch mint. Undated issue, struck circa 162-155/4 BC. Diademed head right, with slight beard, within wreath / Tyche, fully clothed, holding baton and cornucopia, seated left on cippus decorated with winged Tritoness; monogram to outer left. SC 1637a; SMA 81 var. (no beard). Good VF, light porosity and cleaning marks. Rare issue with bearded portrait.

This rare bearded portrait type is known on a short series of tetradrachms struck at Antioch (SC 1636-7). It is thought that the beard may be associated to Demetrios’ campaign in the east against Timarchos (see SC Part II, p. 165).