SELEUKID EMPIRE. Molon. Usurper, 222-220 BC. Æ (21mm, 8.01 g, 12h). Seleukeia on the Tigris mint. Struck circa 221-220 BC. VF.

Triton XXVII
Lot: 330. Estimated: $ 1 500

Greek, 12h, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 10 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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SELEUKID EMPIRE. Molon. Usurper, 222-220 BC. Æ (21mm, 8.01 g, 12h). Seleukeia on the Tigris mint. Struck circa 221-220 BC. Head of Zeus right, wearing laurel wreath / [B]AΣIΛEΩΣ MOLΩNOΣ, Apollo Kitharodeos, draped, standing right, holding plektron in lowered right hand and cradling kithara in left arm; monogram to outer right. SC 949.2; ESM 227; HGC 9, 430; Babelon, Rois 457. Dark brown patina, light deposits. VF. Extremely rare, one in SCO (in the BN), and no coins of Molon (of any issue) in CoinArchives.

Molon was a Seleukid noble who was elevated to satrap of Media by Antiochos III, shortly after his acclamation as king. After Antiochos departed Babylonia to receive his crown in Antioch, Molon and his brother, Alexander, who was satrap of Persis, revolted. Molon defeated two armies sent against him, and entered Seleukeia on the Tigris in 221 BC, at which time the present issue was struck. Eventually, Antiochos, who has been campaigning against the Ptolemies, was forced to turn his attention to the revolt. Molon was compelled to move his army east, towards Media, as Antiochos approached from the west, but the Seleukid king was able to confront and defeat Molon’s forces near Apollonia (Sittake). Although Molon and his brother survived the confrontation, they committed suicide upon realizing the futility of their position.

Coins of Molon are among the rarest of the Seleukid series. Not only are there no issues of his present in CoinArchives, the last sales record we were able to find was an example of the present issue that appeared as lot 191 in Sternberg XVIII in 1986.

The final winners of all Triton XXVII lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 9-10 January 2024.

Triton XXVII – Session One – Lot 1-337 will be held Tuesday morning, 9 January 2024 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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