| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 31025 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Ancients SELEUCID KINGDOM. Antiochus I Soter (281-261 BC). AV stater (18mm, 8.51 gm, 5h). NGC Choice AU 3/5 - 2/5, scuffs. Aï Khanoum mint. Diademed head of Antiochus I right, rejuvenated and idealized, one diadem end waving upward, the other falling straight behind / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, Apollo seated left on omphalus, testing arrow in right hand, resting left hand upon grounded bow behind; OΔ monogram in inner left field below the arrow. SC 436.1. This piece showcases a delightful youthful portrait, gracefully highlighted by a soft amber toning that enhances its overall charm and elegance. Antiochus I Soter reigned over the Seleucid Empire from 281 to 261 BC, inheriting a realm marked by internal discord and external threats following the assassination of his father, Seleucus I Nicator, who had founded the empire in the aftermath of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Achaemenid Empire. Stretching from Anatolia to the borders of India, the Seleucid Empire represented one of the largest Hellenistic states, blending Greek, Persian, Mesopotamian, and other cultural influences into its governance, artistic expressions, and societal norms. Antiochus invoked Akkadian and Babylonian history and religion to link his rule over the Near East with his Persian predecessors. The empire's geographic location allowed it to monopolize the trade of war elephants between east and west--elephants from the India were preferred to their African counterparts due to their larger size. The title Soter (savior) was given to him in 275 BC by grateful Greek city-state allies who had been saved from a massive Gallic invasion by his army of war elephants, an event known as the Battle of the Elephants. The Gauls were resettled in northern part of Anatolia, a region thereafter referred to as Galatia. Antiochus I also spent much of his reign confronting rival Hellenistic kingdoms such as Ptolemaic Egypt, Pergamon, and Macedon in a series of conflicts that often led to periods of instability within the empire. In the years following Antiochus I's death, a provincial rebellion brewing in the north would escalate into the rise of the Parthian Empire and the downfall of the Seleucid dynasty as the dominant power in West Asia. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-seleucid-kingdom-antiochus-i-soter-281-261-bc-av-stater-18mm-851-gm-5h-ngc-choice-au-3-5-2-5-sc/a/3115-31025.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 8000-10000 USD |  |
