SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA. Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC. (Bronze, 21 mm, 8.45 g, 1 h), Apamea-on-the-Orontes, circa 300-281. Elephant standing right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ Bridled horse's head to left; below anchor to left; c/m: laureate head of Apollo within circular incuse. HGC 9, 79. SC 35. Dark green patina with a seemingly previously unrecorded countermark for the issue. Good fine.

The obverse type here depicts the war elephant which represents the gift of 500 war elephants given by Chandragupta Maurya to Seleukos after the conclusion of the Seleucid-Mauryan conflict in 303 BC. Although certainly Chandragypta did not give Seleukos his best elephants, they were nonetheless still sufficient to play a key role in defeating Antigonos Monophtalmos at Issos in 301, allowing Seleukos to eliminate his final serious threat and thus secure his empire.