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Bactrian Kings


Ian

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silver tetradrachm of Agathokles. Little is known for certain concerning this king. The coin itself is cited as having been struck 185 -170 BC by some sources and 171 -160 BC by others, and yet 190 -185 BC by a.n. other. So there is no apparent concensus as to when this coin was struck. I bought it at auction where it was cited as S 7552 , M.137 and the value provided suggest that it is relatively scarce...however I didn't pay anywhere the given value, suggesting that its not quite as scarce, or there's not as much interest at present, as the valuer believed. The coin itself has a very 3 dimensional profile of Agathokles obverse, with the figure of Zeus stading facing front, holding a sceptre in his left hand, and a torch bearing figure of Hecate in his right hand.

 

991951.jpg

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Great history lesson but I have to say thats a funny wear pattern

 

The coin is VERY 3D obverse. The wear is to the high points.

 

On the reverse i think there has been a bit of smoothing done under the toning. There ae patterns there that are otherwise unexplainable. Obverse is aOK though.Just that 3D coins don't scan well on a flatbed scanner ;)

 

Ian

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Fascinating coin, of course, as always. You can find a bit about Agathokles and his context in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathocles_of_Bactria

 

The History Files (UK) presents a very detailed context here:

http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsMiddEast/EasternBactria.htm

Look for Agathokles after Demetrios:

"Some of Demetrius' successors may be co-regents, but civil wars and territorial divisions are very likely. Pantaleon, Antimachus I, Agathocles, and possibly Euthydemus II are all theoretically linked as relatives to Demetrius. In Bactria, Euthydemus II rules, while in the Indo-Greek territories, Agathocles rules in Paropamisadae while Pantaleon rules in Arachosia."

Not much else out there...

A shade more at the British Museum here.

 

As with much from the ancient world, coins live longest, but speak so little.

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