The Seleukid Empire, a major center of Hellenistic culture, lasted nearly two and half centuries and at its greatest extent included almost all of Alexander the Great’s conquests. An extensive and varied coinage was struck by Seleukid mints to satisfy economic needs of the Empire. Moreover, portraits of Seleukid rulers can be found not only on the Seleukid official coins and quasi-municipal coins of Seleukid cities, but also on contemporary “barbaric” imitations, on some Cappadocian coins from the turn of the 2nd and 1st centuries BC (in the name of Antiochos VII), on Roman coins of the province of Syria (in the name of Philip Philadelphos) and even on some Islamic coins from the 12th century AD (some issues of the Artuqids of Mardin and the Artuqids of Hisn Kayfa and Amid).

The first part of the presented collection is focused mainly on silver and bronze Seleukid coins, particularly on later rulers from the 2nd to the 1st century BC. Coins are included either because of their aesthetic value (which is subjective) or because of their historical significance or rarity. The collection covers only a small part of the extensive Seleukid coinage and a diminutive part of the enormously varied ancient Greek coinage. It is complemented by coins interesting from the technical production point of view, by few modern counterfeits and by non-Seleukid coins imitating or inspired by Seleukid coins.

The second part of the collection focuses on municipal coins of Syrian and Mesopotamian cities struck in the time of the Seleukid Empire before Syria became a Roman province in 64 BC. These coins are often overlooked by numismatists and collectors, although they illustrate changes in the Empire in its last period and local history of the cities at the end of the Hellenistic period.

In my opinion, every owner of ancient coins has a responsibility to preserve and protect them for future generations. Every coin in this small collection (regardless of its size, material and current market value) is properly stored. Cotton gloves are always used when handling any coin. No coin is cleaned after its acquisition.

Coins:

• Seleukid Coins
• Technically Interesting Seleukid Coins
• Seleukid Portraits on Non-Seleukid Coins
• Municipal Bronze Coins of Seleukid Syria and Mesopotamia

Indexes and References:

• Index of Mints
• Index of Greek Inscriptions
• List of References