Description:

Near East, Kings of Syria, Alexander I, 150 to 146 BCE. AR drachm (4.19 g). Obverse: Diademed head of Alexander I facing right. Reverse: Apollo seated l. on omphalos. Ex. Thomas S. Walker. Cp. SC-1785.3a. Size: .75" W (1.9 cm)

Alexander I Balas was a man of humble origins who, together with his sister Laodice, passed himself off as the heir to the Seleucid throne. With the help of a minister of the former king, his claims were recognized by the Roman Senate and the Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. He married Cleopatra Thea, a member of the Ptolemies, and came to rely so heavily upon Ptolemaic support to prop up his kingdom that he even minted his coins in their portrait style. After only a few years of ruling, he lost his throne, and fled his kingdom, only to be beheaded when he sought refuge with a Nabataean prince.

Provenance: ex-Matrisciano Collection, California, USA

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#120814

  • Condition: Choice EF with attractive dark patina.

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April 12, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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