SYRIA, Seleukid Kings. Antiochos XII Dionysos. 88-84 BC (Year 229=84/3 BC). AR Tetradrachm (15.81 gm). Damascus mint. Diademed head right /
BASILEWS ANTIOCOU EPIFANOUS FILOPATOROS KALLINIKOU, cult image of Hadad (consort of Atargatis) standing facing on double basis, holding barley stalk; two bull foreparts flanking, control monograms in left field, date
QKE below, all within laurel wreath. SNG Spaer -; Houghton,
CSE -; Houghton and Spaer,
SM 157 (1990) -; Spink Auction 110 (4-5 October 1995), lot 47. Lightly toned EF, partial flat strike. Very rare, unpublished in the standard references. $4,750.
CNR XXVII, June 2002, lot 44.
This coin remains unpublished in any reference work, although one additional specimen appeared in the Spink Numismatic Circular CX (2 April 2002), as lot GK 0555, at 4,500 Pounds Sterling. Thus, the two Spink coins and ours are the only known specimens of this very rare year of an extremely rare type. The reverse type is paired with two obverse varieties, that of Antiochos with or without a beard. Beyond this distinction, there are issues known for the years Seleukid Era (SE) 226, 227, 228, and 229 (all four years of Antiochos XII’s reign). For all these varieties and permutations, there are only approximately fourteen coins known for the Hadad cultus image reverse type.
