Details

LOT 3223

Seleukid Empire, Uncertain Ruler in the name of Antiochos I Soter(?) AE 12mm. 3rd century BC. Uncertain Western mint.

Male head to right, wearing laureate and crested Attic helmet / AN-TI, bull butting to right. Cf. SC 354 (Apollo; perhaps Antioch on the Orontes); Roma Numismatics, e-Sale 112, 529 (hammer: 850 GBP); otherwise unpublished. Good Very Fine. Nice green patina. Exceedingly Rare; the second known example and of considerable numismatic importance.(1.56gr, 12mm, 10h.).

Provenance

Acquired at European coin market.
Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

Footnotes

The closest example to our coin is this of SC 354 (=SNG Spaer 216). Although the obverse is described as Apollo, it is nevertheless very worn. Upon closer examination one could see that the two coins share the same type. According to SC 354 note 'The Kritt specimen shows an apparent helmet crest behind Apollo's head, perhaps evidence for overstriking on an earlier variety featuring Athena'.
SC's suggestion of Antioch as a possible mint is repeated from SNG Spaer. The reverse is similar to those from Seleukeia ad Tigrim but the fabric is quite different (cf. Brian Kritt, From Aï Khanoum to Samarqand. Seleucid Coins in Central Asia, pl. 8). Our coin is more reminiscent of western mints, but the identification of a specific mint is still impracticable.
The most interesting feature, however, is the mysterious face depicted on the obverse, whose parallel example cannot be found in the references.