SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA. Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, or Antiochos I, 281-261 BC. Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.48 g, 7 h), uncertain mint in the East. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet.
Rev. Horned head of a horse to right; behind, B; before, monogram of ΠA. Leu Web Auction 16 (22-24 May 2021), 1088 (misattributed to Asia Minor). SC -. Extremely rare, apparently the third known example. Minor edge crack
, otherwise, good very fine.
From a European collection, formed before 2005.
This enigmatic issue is likely of Seleukid origin, combining, on the obverse, Alexander's Nike from his gold coinage with the Seleukid horned horse on the reverse. Unfortunately, the legends - a plain B (likely for BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ) and a monogram - do not tell us whether the coin was issued under Seleukos I or his son, Antiochos I (or perhaps in their joint reign?), but the fabric is certainly eastern. The issue is perhaps connected to SC 407, an extremely rare obol with an elephant on the obverse and a similar horse on the reverse assigned by SC to Antiochos I, although their differing styles point to different mints. In any case, both types are of great interest and certainly merit further research.
