SELEUKID EMPIRE. Antiochos V Eupator. 164-162 BC. AR Tetradrachm (33mm, 15.46 g, 12h). Ptolemaïs (Ake) mint. Struck 164 BC. VF.

Electronic Auction 565
Lot: 222.
Closing Date: Jul 3 2024 10:00 ET

Greek, 12h, Silver

Estimate: $ 200

BID NOW

SELEUKID EMPIRE. Antiochos V Eupator. 164-162 BC. AR Tetradrachm (33mm, 15.46 g, 12h). Ptolemaïs (Ake) mint. Struck 164 BC. Diademed head of Antiochos V as a young child right; monogram to left / Apollo, testing arrow and resting hand on grounded bow, seated left on omphalos; monograms to outer left and outer right, two monograms in exergue. SC 1581b; Houghton & Le Rider II 7–8 (D1/R3); HGC 9, 751b; CSE 773 (same dies). Lightly toned, roughness, horn silver, extensive cleaning scratches. VF.

The unusually youthful portrait on this very rare issue of Ptolemaïs led Houghton and Le Rider to speculate that these tetradrachms may belong to a coregency of Antiochos IV and V during the former's eastern campaign. The absense of the title Eupator from this issue, which would have been assumed by Antiochos V at the time of his father's death, suggests this issue was struck when Antiochos IV was still living. While Antiochos IV was in the east, Lycias, the Seleukid vice regent, was campaigning in Judaea to put down the revolt of the Maccabees, and it is possible that he required coinage to be produced at the mint of Ptolemaïs for this purpose. Interestingly, the monogram on the obverse of this issue, which is different from all other obverse controls at Ptolemaïs, could be resolved as the first letters of Lysias's name.

Closing Date and Time: 3 July 2024 at 11:13:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.