SELEUKID KINGS. Antiochos (?), 2nd-1st centuries BC. AE (Bronze, 11 mm, 1.46 g, 12 h). Uncertain. Rev. BA / AN Large flower; to left, uncertain key-shaped symbol; below, monogram of MOE (?). SC -. An enigmatic piece. The obverse blank and with some deposits on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


The attribution of this enigmatic little coin is exceptionally difficult. Unfortunately, nothing can be made out on the obverse – perhaps it originally depicted a head, although this is far from certain. On the reverse, we can discern a large flower, a monogram, an uncertain symbol, and the letters BA and AN. The inscription is almost certainly to be read as a royal title followed by the king’s name, most likely Antiochos. Antigonos is another possibility, but the coin’s fabric appears eastern, making an origin in the Aegean region unlikely. Baktrian or Indo-Greek rulers such as Antimachos I, Antimachos II, or Antialkidas also seem very improbable. No comparable type is known to us for any ruler named Antiochos, however. Its fabric does not suggest an early Seleukid issue, but rather a date in the second or first century BC. Ultimately, the coin remains enigmatic.