SELEUCID COINAGE, PART ONE

MURDEROUS AND TREACHEROUS, the Seleucids, a Greek dynasty who ruled much of the Middle East from 312 to 64 BCE, were a nasty lot. But they had exquisite artistic taste, rather like those brutal Italian Renaissance princes who sponsored sculptors, painters and architects who created sublime masterpieces of enduring beauty. Most of what the Seleucids created has long since crumbled to dust or been buried beneath modern cities, but their surviving coins preserve many portraits of remarkable sensitivity and power.

There were about 28 Seleucid kings and one ruling queen (sources disagree over how to count some rebels and usurpers). Ten died in the chronic wars of the era; many others died from poison or assassins' blades, often at the hands of relatives.

The circulating coinage of the Seleucids was based on the "Attic" standard of Athens, a silver tetradrachm of 17.2 grams and a gold stater of 8.6 grams.

To read the complete article, see:
CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series – The Seleucids and Their Coins: Part I (https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-the-seleucids-and-their-coins-part-i/)

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