Silver Tetradrachm of King Antiochos IX, 109 BCE - 108 CE
Silver
C.132
Obverse: Diademed Head of the King with Short Beard Facing Righ Reverse: Athena Standing, Holding Shield and Spear in Left Hand and Nike in Righ The Seleukid Kingdom was established...
Obverse: Diademed Head of the King with Short Beard Facing Righ
Reverse: Athena Standing, Holding Shield and Spear in Left Hand and Nike in Righ
The Seleukid Kingdom was established by Seleukos I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, following the death of Alexander and the division of his empire. At its peak under Seleukos I and Antiochus I, the Seleucid Kingdom comprised almost the whole of the conquests of Alexander with the exception of Egypt. Antiochos IX was the son of Antiochus VII and Cleopatra. He is perhaps best remembered for capturing the city of Antioch in 113 B.C.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether currency in the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten empire. This ancient coin is more than an artifact; it is a memorial to a lost kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation.
Reverse: Athena Standing, Holding Shield and Spear in Left Hand and Nike in Righ
The Seleukid Kingdom was established by Seleukos I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, following the death of Alexander and the division of his empire. At its peak under Seleukos I and Antiochus I, the Seleucid Kingdom comprised almost the whole of the conquests of Alexander with the exception of Egypt. Antiochos IX was the son of Antiochus VII and Cleopatra. He is perhaps best remembered for capturing the city of Antioch in 113 B.C.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether currency in the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten empire. This ancient coin is more than an artifact; it is a memorial to a lost kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation.