SELEUKID KINGS. Antiochos III ‘the Great’, 222-187 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 17.01 g, 8 h), Susa, 222. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. ΒAΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ANTIOXOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle with closed wings in his right; to left, monogram; under throne, monogram. SC 1205. Rare. Struck from a somewhat worn obverse die and with light doubling on the reverse, otherwise, about very fine.


This is a rare late survival of Alexander the Great's types in the Seleukid series. It has been suggested that the types were used at Susa from Seleukos I to Antiochos III in order to facilitate payments to western mercenaries serving in the eastern territories of the Seleukid Empire. In the case of this example, it must have been struck in 222, right after the king's accession to before, and just before Molon's usurpation.