KINGS OF CHARACENE. Apodakos, circa 110/09-104/03 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 30 mm, 16.19 g, 12 h), Charax-Spasinu, SE 207 = 106/5. Diademed head of Apodakos to right.
Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΑΓΓΟΔΑΚΟΥ (sic!) / ΖΣ Herakles seated left, holding club set on his knee with his right hand and leaning left on rock draped with lion skin; to left, monogram. Alram 496.1 var. (slightly differing obverse). P. Pasmans: De Zilveren Muntslag op Naam van Hyspaosines (132/1-121/0 v.Chr.) en Zijn Opvolger Apodakos (112/1-103/2 v.Chr.), Koningen van Characene: in Diestse Studiekring voor Numismatiek, Jubileumboek 2006-2021 (Numismatische Studies 3), no. 50. Sunrise -. Traces of overstriking and the obverse struck slightly off center
, otherwise, very fine.
From a European collection, formed before 2005.
This coin was overstruck on a tetradrachm of the former overlords of Charakene, the Seleukids, as one can faintly read [...]TIOXOY across Herakles' head on the reverse. Which of the Seleukid kings named Antiochos the coin belonged to is difficult to say, but the most likely candicate is Antiochos IV, since the lines across Herakles' body likely derive from a seated Zeus figure, and the traces of the undertype on the obverse resemble his large portrait with curly hair. Another possibility would be Antiochos VIII, who was a near contemporary of Apodakos, but his coinage saw far less circulation in the East due to the collapse of Seleukid imperial control in the 140s and 130s BC, and his portrait is usually much smaller than that of Antiochos IV.
