SELEUCID KINGDOM. Seleucus I Nicator (312-281 BC). AR tetradrachm (27mm, 16.59 gm, 7h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 5/5. Susa, ca. 305/4-295 BC. Head of Seleucus I right, wearing Attic helmet covered with panther skin and decorated with bull horns and ear, panther skin tied around neck; dotted border / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ, Nike standing right, crowning trophy of arms built on tree, branch at base to right; KAT monogram to lower left below right wing, ΠΥΡ monogram between Nike and trophy below left wing. SC 173.4. An elegant specimen, featuring a charming portrait adorned with a delightful sheen of luster, complemented by areas of rich toning. From the Dynasty Collection, #201. Debate has long swirled regarding the identity of the helmeted hero appearing on the obverse of this type - is it Seleucus I, or Alexander the Great, or a composite demigod incorporating features of Seleucus, Alexander and Dionysus? In the Handbook of Syrian Coins (CNG, 2009), Oliver Hoover opts for identifying the portrait as an idealized image of Seleucus I himself. The reverse design of Nike crowning trophy, in fine style on this example, was paralleled by a nearly simultaneous issue of the Syracusan tyrant Agathocles hundreds of miles away. The motif would prove highly influential in both Greek and Roman coins for centuries to come. HID09801242017 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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