Classical Numismatic Group, LLC - Triton XXVIII – Sessions 1-4 . 409 Numistats ref: 672899
No match
Oriental Greek
Category
KINGS of CHARACENE. Bellaios, with Amatbene. Circa 85/4 BC. AR Tetradrachm (29mm, 15.62 g, 12h). Uncertain mint. Dated SE 228 (85/4 BC). Conjoined busts of Bellaios, diademed and wearing short beard, and Amatbene, draped and wearing stephane, right / [BA]ΣIΛEΩ[Σ]/BEΛΛAIOY above, BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ/AMATBHNOΣ to right, [Φ]ΙΛOΠATEPΩN in exergue; KAI EYEPΓET[ΩN] to left, radiate Apollo standing left, quiver over shoulder, holding wreath in extended right hand and bow in lowered left; to left, monogram above HKΣ (date). Cf. O. Callot, “Catalogue des monnaies du musée de Sharjah (Émirats Arabes Unis). Essai sur les monnayages arabes préislamiques de la péninsule d’Oman” in Collection de la maison de l'Orient et de la Mediterranée 30 (Lyon, 2004), 110 (Æ); otherwise unpublished. Toned, with iridescence, traces of deposits, some porosity, die rust and horn silver. Good VF. Extremely rare .
Due to the Seleukid Empire's inability to maintain its vast empire, several small kingdoms arose in the Persian Gulf, striking coinage to proclaim their autonomy. Much of what is known about them derives from these issues, although there appear to be periods during which no issues were minted. Such lacunae have been interpreted mostly as the back-and-forth control by their regional overlords, first the Seleukids and, later, the Parthian Empire. These gaps may also be explained by potential new rulers who are heretofore unknown. Since the coinage of these rulers are dated according to the prevailing Seleukid Era, it is easy to establish – with minor tweaking – a general chronology for each of their reigns. The appearance of new coin types from time to time can help supplement the evidence, while posing new challenges to what is already known. Such is the case, especially, with the kingdom of Characene, where a decade-long break occurs between two already-known kings, Tiraios I (95/94-88/7 BC) and Tiraios II (79/78-49/48 BC). One example of a new discovery is a heretofore unrecorded tetradrachm that appeared on the market in 2023. Dated SE 232 (81/80 BC), it is an issue of a king Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros and published by G.R.F. Assar (A New Hellenistic Ruler from Early 1st century BC: King Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros in Andreas Pangerl (ed.), 400 years of Hellenistic Portraits [Munich, 2020]).
The present coin is a newly recorded tetradrachm of another Hellenistic ruler, previously known only from a few poorly preserved bronze coins. In 2004, Olivier published an example in the Sharjah Museum [UAE] that discovered in trade in the UK. First published by R.C Senior in 1994 (Trade and Coinage in Eastern Arabia c. 100 BC-100 AD, A3) and in later by E. Haerinck ("International contacts in the southern Persian Gulf in the late 1st century B.C./1st century A.D.: numismatic evidence from ed-Dur [Emirate of Umm al-Qaiwain]" in Iranica Antiqua XXXIII [1998], no. 5), this coin shows male and female conjoined busts on the obverse, and on the reverse, the prow of a galley right. Senior attributed the coin to Sidon in Phoenicia, while, Haerinck hypothesized a Characene origin. Before this, an earlier specimen, acquired by the British Museum was published by G.F. Hill ("Greek coins acquired by the British Museum in 1927" in NC 1928, 41) in the hope that more information might be learned about it. He did note a strongly bevelled edge to the flan, which he associated with a Seleukid influence, but he doubted a Mesoptamian source because of the maritime reverse. A third and still unpublished example, found at ancient Ikaros (mod. Failaka in the Persian Gulf), now resides in the Kuwait National Museum (Inv. no. 1790). The published examples appear to be struck from the same dies. While the name of the king – BEΛΛAIOY – is clear, the queen's name was not. What was visible led Haerinck and Callot to interpret the name tentatively as Kleopatra (Callot p. 79). The present tetradrachm, however, with AMATBHNOΣ following BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ, confirms the queen's name as Amatbene.
Dated SE 228 (85/4 BC), this tetradrachm shows the conjoined busts of king Bellaios and queen Amatbene, in a style reminiscent of the near-contemporary rulers of Elymais, Kamnaskires III and Anzaze. Indicated by the use of the genitive plural which refers to both, Bellaios and Amatbene are loving of their father (ΦΙΛOΠATEPΩN), as well as benefactors (EYEPΓETΩN). That such epithets apply to both individuals has precedent in other Hellenistic royal coinage (see, for example, Ptolemy IV and his sister-wife Arsinoe III), while the use of these particular words reflects their parental devotion and beneficence to the state.
The portrait of Bellaios with short hair and beard is reminiscent of Tiraios I, and is similar to the small bronzes, suggesting that these issues are connected. Moreover, the y monogram on this tetradrachm can be linked to a tetradrachm of Tiraios II, dated SE 234 (78/7 BC). Both Haerinck and Callot tentatively attributed the bronzes to a Characene origin. Based on the style of the portraits and the control, the present coin should be included there, providing a new ruler in the decade between Tiraios I and II. Description
Due to the Seleukid Empire's inability to maintain its vast empire, several small kingdoms arose in the Persian Gulf, striking coinage to proclaim their autonomy. Much of what is known about them derives from these issues, although there appear to be periods during which no issues were minted. Such lacunae have been interpreted mostly as the back-and-forth control by their regional overlords, first the Seleukids and, later, the Parthian Empire. These gaps may also be explained by potential new rulers who are heretofore unknown. Since the coinage of these rulers are dated according to the prevailing Seleukid Era, it is easy to establish – with minor tweaking – a general chronology for each of their reigns. The appearance of new coin types from time to time can help supplement the evidence, while posing new challenges to what is already known. Such is the case, especially, with the kingdom of Characene, where a decade-long break occurs between two already-known kings, Tiraios I (95/94-88/7 BC) and Tiraios II (79/78-49/48 BC). One example of a new discovery is a heretofore unrecorded tetradrachm that appeared on the market in 2023. Dated SE 232 (81/80 BC), it is an issue of a king Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros and published by G.R.F. Assar (A New Hellenistic Ruler from Early 1st century BC: King Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros in Andreas Pangerl (ed.), 400 years of Hellenistic Portraits [Munich, 2020]).
The present coin is a newly recorded tetradrachm of another Hellenistic ruler, previously known only from a few poorly preserved bronze coins. In 2004, Olivier published an example in the Sharjah Museum [UAE] that discovered in trade in the UK. First published by R.C Senior in 1994 (Trade and Coinage in Eastern Arabia c. 100 BC-100 AD, A3) and in later by E. Haerinck ("International contacts in the southern Persian Gulf in the late 1st century B.C./1st century A.D.: numismatic evidence from ed-Dur [Emirate of Umm al-Qaiwain]" in Iranica Antiqua XXXIII [1998], no. 5), this coin shows male and female conjoined busts on the obverse, and on the reverse, the prow of a galley right. Senior attributed the coin to Sidon in Phoenicia, while, Haerinck hypothesized a Characene origin. Before this, an earlier specimen, acquired by the British Museum was published by G.F. Hill ("Greek coins acquired by the British Museum in 1927" in NC 1928, 41) in the hope that more information might be learned about it. He did note a strongly bevelled edge to the flan, which he associated with a Seleukid influence, but he doubted a Mesoptamian source because of the maritime reverse. A third and still unpublished example, found at ancient Ikaros (mod. Failaka in the Persian Gulf), now resides in the Kuwait National Museum (Inv. no. 1790). The published examples appear to be struck from the same dies. While the name of the king – BEΛΛAIOY – is clear, the queen's name was not. What was visible led Haerinck and Callot to interpret the name tentatively as Kleopatra (Callot p. 79). The present tetradrachm, however, with AMATBHNOΣ following BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ, confirms the queen's name as Amatbene.
Dated SE 228 (85/4 BC), this tetradrachm shows the conjoined busts of king Bellaios and queen Amatbene, in a style reminiscent of the near-contemporary rulers of Elymais, Kamnaskires III and Anzaze. Indicated by the use of the genitive plural which refers to both, Bellaios and Amatbene are loving of their father (ΦΙΛOΠATEPΩN), as well as benefactors (EYEPΓETΩN). That such epithets apply to both individuals has precedent in other Hellenistic royal coinage (see, for example, Ptolemy IV and his sister-wife Arsinoe III), while the use of these particular words reflects their parental devotion and beneficence to the state.
The portrait of Bellaios with short hair and beard is reminiscent of Tiraios I, and is similar to the small bronzes, suggesting that these issues are connected. Moreover, the y monogram on this tetradrachm can be linked to a tetradrachm of Tiraios II, dated SE 234 (78/7 BC). Both Haerinck and Callot tentatively attributed the bronzes to a Characene origin. Based on the style of the portraits and the control, the present coin should be included there, providing a new ruler in the decade between Tiraios I and II. Description
Good VF
Grade
4314.38 EUR
Starting
7190.63 EUR
Estimate
EUR
Realized