Chrandragupta’s Peace Settlement of 303 BC

Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 218. Estimate $7500.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $6000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Seleukos I Nikator. 312-281 BC. AR Tetradrachm (17.10 g, 10h). Seleukeia on the Tigris II mint. Struck circa 296/5-281 BC. Laureate head of Zeus right / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY, Athena Promachos in elephant quadriga right; B to upper left; to upper right, anchor above ΔI. SC 130.1b; ESM 29 (A31/P98). Superb EF, slight die shift on reverse.

With the successful conclusion of the Babylonian War against Antigonos Monophthalmos in 309 BC, Seleukos had secured his western border. He then turned his eyes eastwards and attacked Chandragupta, the ruler of the Mauryan Empire in northern India. Sometime around 303 BC a peace treaty was agreed, one term of which was that Seleukos would receive 500 elephants from Chandragupta. The chariot of elephants on this coin serves as a reminder of these elephants.