Lot 116: Seleukid Kingdom. Seleukos I Nikator. 312-281 B.C. AR tetradrachm. Babylon II, in the name of Alexander III, ca. 311-300 B.C. A Case of Hostile Defacement?.

Seleukid Kingdom. Seleukos I Nikator. 312-281 B.C. AR tetradrachm (27 mm, 16.99 g, 12 h). Babylon II, in the name of Alexander III, ca. 311-300 B.C. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟ[Υ], Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; in left field, HΔ monogram above Seleukid anchor (largely erased); below throne, Π below strut. SC C94.5c (old 94.2c); Price 3344A; HGC 9, 10g. Very fine.

Hostile Defacement?.

An interesting feature of this coin is the purposeful erasure after striking of the Seleukid anchor from the reverse field before the legs of Zeus. The anchor is not infrequently found erased on the tetradrachms from the second workshop of Babylon and elsewhere in Babylonia (i.e., Uncertain mint 6A, perhaps at Opis), but in nearly all instances it has been erased from the die, not the coin itself. The reason for these erasures is uncertain. Kritt (ESMS p. 88) suggested it symbolized Seleukos' assumption of the kingship ca. 305/4 B.C., but Houghton and Lorber (SC I p. 43) note that Kritt's hypothesis is problematic as Seleukos revived the use of the anchor symbol subsequently. They further state that a ""...report of at least one Babylonian specimen in which the anchor was erased from the coin, not the die, raises the possibility that the erasure of Seleucus' personal badge was a hostile act, effected by the Antigonids in the course of their campaigns in Babylonia. This hypothesis suggests a date c. 311-308 for [this] and other affected coinages.""

• Offered By: Barry P. Murphy
• Lot #: 116
• Listing #: 234021
• Closed: Friday, June 3, 2016 5:57:30 PM CT
• Estimate: $200