This coin is (in my opinion) the most beautiful one in my collection. It is issued by my favorite Seleukid king Alexander I (Balas) and minted in the Phoenician city of Tyre, rather than the capital Antioch on the Orontes.
Alexander I (Balas). 152/1-145 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Tyre mint. Dated SE 167 (146/5 BC). Obverse: Diademed and draped bust of Alexander Balas right. Reverse: Eagle standing left on prow of galley, palm-branch over right shoulder; club surmounted by monogram to left, ΙΞΡ (date) and monogram to right. Reference: SNG Spaer 1545-1546; Newell, Tyre 79; Houghton 749. Weight: 13.73g (Phoenican standard)
But why does the reverse look exactly like those of the Ptolemaic tetradrachms?
CNG 88, Lot: 545. PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy II Philadelphos. 285-246 BC. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 14.20 g, 11h). Tyre mint. Struck circa 285-261/0 BC. Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck / Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; to left, Tyre monogram above club. Svoronos 644; SNG Copenhagen 482. EF, a little off center.
It is the first time a Seleukid king issued 1. Tetradrachms with an eagle on the reverse and 2. Tetradrachms with Phoenican weight standard rather than the normally used Attic standard. Many kings after Alexander I Balas followed his example and struck the same type in Phoenicia.
Long have been suggested that the Ptolemaic eagle on the reverse of Alexander Balas’ coinage indicates a close relationship between the Ptolemaic king (Ptolemy VI Philometor) and Alexander Balas either on political or economic grounds. Initial minting activity in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia was limited. Antiochos III apperantly did not strike silver coinage in the region, and his succesors seem to have only minted coins in Ake-Ptolemais. An apparently small series from Seleukos IV, a larger series from Antiochos IV, and another small series from Demetrios I survive. An analysis of the hoard evidence from the region showed that Ptolemaic coinage on the Phoenician standard was predominant in the hoards up to the 140s BC, and the hoarding of Phoenician standard coinage presumably indicated local demand. Interestingly, the hoards outside of the region rarely show coins of the Phoenician standard. Alexander Balas’ Phoenician standard issues responded to local demand by using the Ptolemaic eagle on the reverse in a number of mints, and would be continued by his successors until the Seleukid kings lost control over the region.
The types of the Seleukid eagles are similar in all Phoenician mints: on the obverse, the diademed head of the king to the right wearing chlamys; on the reverse, an eagle standing left. At both Sidon and Tyre a palm branch, the symbol of Phoenicia, appears behind the eagle’s shoulder. The issues of Sidon are distinguished by an aphlaston in the reverse right field and the ethnic ΣΙΔΩ. In the issues of Tyre the eagle stands on a ship’s prow, symbol of the Tyrian naval force. The club of Heracles-Melqart and the monogram mark the left field of the reverse. The inscriptions name the kings without any epithet. All coins are dated according to the Seleukid era.
This coin is the last issue of Alexander Balas in 146/5 BC with the Seleukid date of ΙΞΡ (167). It is very interesting to see is that in the same year (also ΙΞΡ), Demetrios II (who defeated Balas in 145 BC), started to mint the same type but with his portrait and his name. This shows how quickly new dies are made and coins are minted of another king all within 1 year. See the coin below:
Künker Auktion 318 Lot 766
SYRIA. KÖNIGREICH. Demetrius II., 1. Regierung, 146-138 v. Chr. AR-Schekel, Jahr 167 seleukidischer Ära (= 146/145 v. Chr.), Tyros; 14,19 g. Drapierte Büste r. mit Diadem//Adler mit Palmzweig auf Prora l., davor Keule und Monogramm. Houghton/Lorber/Hoover 1959.1 c; Newell, Tyre 83; SNG Spaer 1675.
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