Syria, Seleucid Kings, Antiochus I Soter, 280-261 BC, Stater 276-261 BC, Ai-Khanoum, NGC graded
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Sign InDescription
Syria. Seleucid Kings. Antiochus I Soter, 280-261 BC. Stater 276-261 BC, Ai-Khanoum. Gold 8.48 g.; 19.5 mm. Possibly struck in Aï Khanoum or Bactra.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochos I to right, with elderly portrait // Reverse: Apollo (Delphian/Delphinios Apollo), nude, seated left on the omphalos, testing an arrow in his right hand, his left hand holding the top of a bow resting on the ground to the right; ∆ in the left field. Reverse caption: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY
SC: 435.3. HGC: 9-122.
Beautiful Stater, with attractive design, and with a very delicate and precise engraving. The strike, although slightly misaligned, is very sharp, the impression is very well done and all of the engravings are fully visible. lt. smoothing.
NGC graded Ch AU Strike: 4/5 Surface: 2/5
Provenance Details
Ex Roma Numismatics, Auction XX, 29 October 2020, lot 306.
From a private English collection
Comment
Variety 435.3 of Seleucid Coins 435, extremely rare, with only the Δ in the field, without the encircling O. Slight traces of plaster in the portrait's hair, remains of an old moulding. A mark on Apollo's face on the reverse, perhaps deliberate.
Very rare type, very few examples are held in public collections, and similarly only a few examples have been auctioned for this type in recent years.
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