| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 47 Price realized: 550 EUR (Approx. 593 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Kings of Bithynia. Nikomedeia. Nikomedes II Epiphanes 149-127 BC. Dated RY 168 = 130/129 BC Tetradrachm AR 36 mm, 16,19 g Diademed head right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΟΥ, Zeus standing facing, his head turned to left, holding wreath in his right hand and scepter in his left; to left, eagle standing on thunderbolt above monogram and HΞΡ (date). Very Fine, scratch on obverse RecGen 40.29. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
Match 1:
| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 46 Price realized: 950 EUR (Approx. 1,024 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Kings of Bithynia. Nikomedeia. Nikomedes II Epiphanes 149-127 BC. Dated RY 187 = 111/110 BC Tetradrachm AR 31 mm, 16,61 g Diademed head right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΟΥ, Zeus standing facing, his head turned to left, holding wreath in his right hand and scepter in his left; to left, eagle standing on thunderbolt above monogram and ZΠP (date). Good Very Fine HGC 7. Nicomedes II Epiphanes, the king of Bithynia around 149 to 127 BC, rebelled against his father, Prusias II, with the support of Rome. Initially sent to Rome to limit his influence, Nicomedes II gained favor with the Roman Senate. When his father attempted to assassinate him, the emissary Menas revealed the plot, leading Nicomedes II to rebel successfully with the help of Attalus II Philadelphus, the king of Pergamon. As a result, he ordered his father's execution in Nicomedia. Throughout his reign, Nicomedes II remained a loyal ally to Rome, assisting them against a rival claimant to the Pergamon throne, Eumenes III. Notably, Nicomedes II introduced the Bithynian era for dating on his coins, a system that persisted in parts of the Greek world until the 4th century AD. His son, Nicomedes III, succeeded him as king. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
Match 2:
| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 203 | Silver | Auction date: 24 March 2024 |
| Lot number: 242 Price realized: 200 EUR (Approx. 217 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Kition. Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physkon 170-116 BC. Dated RY 44=127/6 BC Tetradrachm AR 25 mm, 13,54 g Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck / BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟY, eagle standing left on thunderbolt; LMΔ (date) in left field, KI to right. Very Fine SNG Copenhagen -; Svoronos 1604. Starting price: 50 EUR |  |
Match 3:
| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 81 Price realized: 400 EUR (Approx. 431 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Seleukid Kingdom. Antioch on the Orontes. Antiochos III Megas 222-187 BC. Tetradrachm AR 30 mm, 16,13 g Diademed head right / BAΣIΛEΩ[Σ] ANT-IOXOY, Apollo Delphios, nude but for chlamys draped from his waist, wearing laurel wreath and seated on omphalos to left, testing arrow with his right hand and resting his left on a bow leaning against the omphalos behind him, monogram to outer left. Nearly Extremely Fine SC 1042.1. Antiochus III Megas, widely known as Antiochus III the Great, was a significant figure in the Hellenistic period, reigning over the vast Seleucid Empire from 222 BC to 187 BC. His rule is characterized by ambitious military campaigns and strategic diplomacy, leaving a lasting impact on the ancient world. Antiochus III ascended the Seleucid throne during a challenging era, with the empire's influence waning. Determined to restore its former glory, he embarked on an impressive series of military expeditions. One of his most notable achievements was the successful invasion of Egypt, which led to the recovery of territories in Asia Minor, the Levant, and even parts of Greece. However, his ambitions weren't without opposition. The Fourth Syrian War against Egypt, though initially victorious, ultimately saw a defeat at the Battle of Raphia. Furthermore, his efforts to expand into Asia Minor brought him into direct conflict with the formidable Roman Republic. Antiochus III's conflict with Rome resulted in the Peace of Apamea in 188 BC, a treaty that forced him to surrender territories and curtailed his territorial aspirations. Despite the setbacks, his reign left a significant mark on the Seleucid Empire's history, symbolizing a brief resurgence of power. Tragically, Antiochus III's life came to an untimely end when he was assassinated in 187 BC during an eastern campaign. His legacy is one of both ambition and limitation, a ruler whose grand designs clashed with the growing might of Rome, shaping the destiny of the Seleucid Empire and the broader course of history in the Hellenistic era. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
Match 4:
| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 188 | Black | Auction date: 17 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 46 Price realized: 600 EUR (Approx. 660 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Kings of Armenia. Tigranocerta. Tigranes II "the Great" 95-56 BC. Struck circa 80-68 BC Tetradrachm AR 27 mm, 15,72 g Diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara with five peaks and emblazoned with star between two eagles; within filleted border / BAΣIΛEΩΣ TIΓPANOY, Tyche of Artaxata seated to right on rock pile, holding palm branch, river god Araxes swimming to right below; Θ to inner right, ΔH monogram to lower left, all within wreath. very fine Kovacs 74.2; SCADA Group 1; CAA 19; ACV 31. ´Tigranes II, also known as Tigranes the Great, reigned as the king of Armenia from 95 BC to 55 BC. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he led Armenia to unprecedented expansion. Leveraging the decline of the Parthian and Seleucid Empires, Tigranes rapidly grew his kingdom, forming an alliance with Mithridates VI of Pontus by marrying his daughter. His empire extended from the Pontic Alps to Mesopotamia, with Tigranocerta as his new capital. Tigranes valued Greek culture, attracting scholars to his court. Tensions with Rome escalated as Mithridates sought refuge, resulting in defeats in 69 BC and 68 BC by Roman forces led by Lucullus and Pompey respectively. Tigranes surrendered in 66 BC, keeping Armenia's core while losing conquered lands. His rule continued as a Roman ally until his death around 55 BC. Tigranes the Great's legacy lies in Armenia's territorial peak, cultural exchange, and his role in regional power dynamics. Starting price: 1 EUR |  |
Match 5:
| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 98 Price realized: 750 EUR (Approx. 809 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Kings of Armenia. Tigranocerta. Tigranes II "the Great" 95-56 BC. Struck circa 80-68 BC Tetradrachm AR 29 mm, 15,65 g Diademed and draped bust right, wearing Armenian tiara with five peaks and emblazoned with star between two eagles; within filleted border / BAΣIΛEΩΣ TIΓPANO[Y], Tyche of Artaxata seated to right on rock pile, holding palm branch, river god Araxes swimming to right below; no control marks; all within wreath. Very Fine SCADA Group 7, obv. die A49, var. (monogram on rock on all listed reverses with this die); Kovacs 75.3 var. (monogram on rock); M&D 12 var. (same). Tigranes II, known as Tigranes the Great, was a significant king of Armenia from 95 BC to 55 BC during the Hellenistic period. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he expanded Armenia's borders significantly, earning the titles of "Great King" and "King of Kings." Tigranes allied with Mithridates VI of Pontus, marrying his daughter Cleopatra. His empire reached from the Pontic Alps to Mesopotamia and from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, making it the most powerful state east of the Roman Republic for a brief period. Tigranes' imperial ambitions brought him into direct conflict with Rome. In 69 BC, he suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Roman general Lucullus in the Battle of Tigranocerta. Subsequent battles against the Romans led by Pompey resulted in Tigranes' surrender in 66 BC. Pompey allowed him to retain a diminished Armenia as a Roman buffer state. Tigranes ruled as a Roman ally until his death in 55 BC. Known for his diverse imperial ideology, Tigranes blended Achaemenid, Parthian, and Greek influences in his court. He was a follower of Zoroastrianism and adopted the title of Philhellene. Tigranes left a legacy, founding cities including the capital Tigranocerta. His empire, though short-lived, is a source of pride for modern Armenian nationalists, symbolized by the expression "sea to sea Armenia," reflecting the vast extent of his kingdom from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Starting price: 500 EUR |  |
