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DARIUS I (XERXES I-II)
Persia - Achaemenid Empire
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE c.5th Century BC |
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AV Daric Achaemenid Empire spear. rv incuse punch. obv hero-king w/bow & |
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NGC AU Strike: 4/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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XERXES II
Persia - Achaemenid Empire |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE 5th-4th Centuries BC |
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AV Daric Achaemenid Empire spear. rv incuse punch. obv hero-king w/bow & |
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NGC MS Strike: 4/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
Time of Xerxes II-Artaxerxes II (ca. 420-375 BC). AV daric (15mm, 8.35 gm). NGC MS 4/5 - 5/5. Persian king or hero in kneeling-running position right, wearing kidaris (crown) with four points and kandys (royal robe), holding transverse spear with round rear terminal in right hand and bow in left; quiver over shoulder / Rectangular incuse punch with rough interior surface. Carradice Type IIIb B. Top of crown off flan, otherwise crisply struck on a roundish flan.
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Croesus
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) LYDIA Croesus, 561-546 BC |
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AV Third-Stater Lydia obv lion confronting bull 'Light Series' |
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NGC Ch MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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PERICLES
Athens |
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GREECE |
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20D 1978 |
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NGC PF 68 ULTRA CAMEO |
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Owner Comments
As of February 2018, this Greek 20 Drachmai of the famous Athenian leader of the Peloponnesian War is among the two (2) finest graded specimens at Proof 68 Ultra Cameo.
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ATTICA-ATHENS |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ATTICA, ATHENS c.440-404 BC |
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AR Tetradrachm Attica, Athens obv Athena |
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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HIPPONACTUS
Thrace |
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ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) THRACE, ABDERA c.386-336 BC |
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AR Stater Thrace, Abdera obv griffin std. |
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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PHARNABAZUS
Persia: Time of Darius II |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) CILICIA, TARSUS Pharnabazus c380-374/3 BC |
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AR Stater Cilicia, Tarsus rv Ares(?) helmeted obv Ba'al of Tarsus std. |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 |
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Owner Comments
Pharnabazus II was a Persian soldier and statesman and one of the first living persons to be depicted on a coin (possibly, although the image is often attributed to that of the god Ares). He was satrap of Phrygia in the Hellespont He and Tissaphernes of Caria, another one of Persian King Darius II's satraps, entered in to the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) nominally on the side of Sparta in that city's long war with Athens. The two satraps were rivals, each probably trying to impress Darius with his success. When Tissaphernes appeared less than upright in his promises of Persian-Phoenician support to Sparta, the Spartans turned to Pharnabazus who was the more upright of the two, as it happened.
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PHILIP II
Greek: Macedon |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF MACEDON Philip II, 359-336 BC |
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AR Tetradrachm Kingdom Of Macedon Zeus/youth on horseback early posthumous issue |
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NGC AU Surface: 4/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
King of Macedon from 359 BC until assassinated (for reasons not undisputed) in 336 BC. Father of Alexander the Great by his wife Olympias. An innovative, active militarist, he fought the key city states of Greece into submission, but remained cowed, as did his son afterward, to the Spartans.
The youth on horseback on the reverse of the Tetradrachm provokes thoughts of his teenage son Alexander who fought side by side with his father with great success. Philip's primary legacy was his son whom he prepared well despite episodes of love-hate.
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PANTIKAPAIEON
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ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) BOSPORUS,PANTICAPAEUM c.340-320 BC |
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AV Stater Bosporus,panticapaeum obv Pan or Silenus(?) |
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 |
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ALEXANDER
"The Great"
Greek: Macedon |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF MACEDON Alexander III, 336-323 BC |
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AV Stater Kingdom Of Macedon obv Athena. rv Nike. early posthumous issue |
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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ALEXANDER
"The Great"
Kingdom of Thrace |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF THRACE Lysimachus, 305-281 BC |
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AR Tetradrachm Kingdom Of Thrace Alexander III/Athena posthumous issue |
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NGC XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
King of Macedon beginning in 336 BC at the age of twenty after inheriting his father Philip II's strong and powerful realm. Educated by Aristotle and having served as a field commander, Alexander continued his father's expansionist plans by first conquering the Persian Empire. Forced (by his own troops) to abandon his plans to subdue India in 326 BC, he died in Babylon in 323 BC while contemplating attacks on Arabia at the age of 32.
Never defeated in a battle, he was competitive with his father and his father's legacy. He was a patron of the arts, science and literature. He was, at once, charismatic, logical, perceptive and calculating, yet could be violent of temper and impulsive. His campaigns did much to spread Hellenistic culture and open trade routes.
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ALEXANDER
"The Great"
Greek: Macedon |
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ALEXANDER THE GREAT (336-50BC) SILVER TET (16.5GMS) |
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NGC |
| Research: |
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Owner Comments
King of Macedon beginning in 336 BC at the age of twenty after inheriting his father Philip II's strong and powerful realm. Educated by Aristotle and having served as a field commander, Alexander continued his father's expansionist plans by first conquering the Persian Empire. Forced (by his own troops) to abandon his plans to subdue India in 326 BC, he died in Babylon in 323 BC while contemplating attacks on Arabia at the age of 32.
Never defeated in a battle, he was competitive with his father and his father's legacy. He was a patron of the arts, science and literature. He was, at once, charismatic, logical, perceptive and calculating, yet could be violent of temper and impulsive. His campaigns did much to spread Hellenistic culture and open trade routes.
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SELEUCUS I
Seleucid Kingdom |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) SELEUCID KINGDOM Seleucus I, 312-281 BC |
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AR Tetradrachm Seleucid Kingdom rv Nike crowns trophy ob Alex.III or Seleucus I |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
Seleucus (Seleukos) had been a Macedonian general under Alexander III “the Great”. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, he first supported, then conspired against, the empire’s regent Perdiccas, the nominal functional, if not the official familial, successor to Alexander. After additional turmoil, and with the support of Ptolemy I of Egypt, a former comrade-in-arms, Seleucus gained control of Babylon in 312 BC and began expansions beyond Babylonia into the eastern regions of Alexander’s empire.
As did Alexander before him, his efforts succeeded as far east as India by 303 BC. He then made peace with Indian Emperor Maurya at that time. Some of the conquered territory of the Indus River Valley and other lands were ceded to India, and Seleucus obtained in exchange a large body of war elephants. These beasts were used later in successful battles against Antigonus and against Lysimachus, another former comrade. Seleucus thoughts after defeating Lysimachus were to obtain control of some of the western territories, e.g. Thrace and Macedon and possibly of Greece itself. Seleucus, however, was assassinated while in Thrace and was succeeded by his son Antiochus I.
The Seleucid Empire continued to exist until eventually overthrown by Roman general Pompey in the first century BC. The empire had previously lost much territory to the Parthians under Mithridates I in the second century BC, and later had been invaded by the Armenian king Tigranes the Great prior to Pompey’s victory.
The tetradrachm of 312-281 BC depicts Seleucus (or possibly Alexander) wearing an Attic helmet covered with panther skin and adorned with bull’s horns and ear. The reverse shows a standing Nike presenting a crowning trophy of arms. Oliver Hoover’s scholarship published by CNG in 2009 is that the portrait is of Seleucus himself. The Greek inscription makes it no doubt that the coin was issued in the name of king Seleucus.
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PTOLEMY I
Egypt: Ptolemaic Kingdom |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM Ptolemy II, 285/4-246 BC |
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AR Tetradrachm Ptolemaic Kingdom Sidon. 'K' behind ear. perhaps Ptolemy I issue |
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NGC AU Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323–283 BC) and founder of both the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Ptolemaic Dynasty. His portrait is on the tetradrachm of his successor Ptolemy II although the coin was possibly issued during Ptolemy I's reign.
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ARSINOE II
Egypt: Ptolemaic Kingdom |
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ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM Arsinoe II, d.270/68 BC |
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AV Octodrachm Ptolemaic Kingdom rv diademed cornucopias issued after c.193/2 BC |
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
Arsinoë II, b. 316 BC–d. 270-260 BC, was a Ptolemaic Greek Princess of Ancient Egypt and through marriage to Lysimachus, a former general of Alexander the Great, was Queen of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedonia. Later, she became co-ruler of Egypt with her brother-husband Ptolemy II Philadelphus ("Ptolemy the Sibling-Loving", appropriately).
She had married Lysimachus when he as about 60 years old, she being 15. She bore him three sons, whom she favored for succession by having Lysimachus’ first son by another marriage poisoned for treason. After being widowed, she married her paternal half –brother Ptolemy Keraunos to help retain power in Macedonia and Thrace. He, however, discovered a subsequent conspiracy of hers, had two of her sons killed, and forced Arsinoe and the eldest son to flee for their lives.
In Alexandria, she was reunited with her brother Ptolemy II. Subsequently, she may have instigated the ousting of his wife Arsinoe I. She married Ptolemy II thus spawning the epithet “sibling loving”. She was a powerful co-ruler with Ptolemy. After her death, she was named a Goddess and continued to be depicted on the coinage of Ptolemaic Egypt.
The mnaieion or octodrachm is a posthumous issue minted in Alexandria decades after her death under Ptolemy VI-VIII. Her portrait on these later “K-type” octodrachms bear little resemblance to the face of Arsinoe II appearing on coins during her lifetime. It is suggested that the later portrait is of Cleopatra II, who was a scheming “piece of work” herself. Of course, Cleopatra VII was THE Cleopatra and the last of the line.
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