SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA. Demetrios II Nikator, first reign, 146-138 BC. Drachm (Silver, 18 mm, 4.72 g, 12 h), ΔH mint, in Syria or Phoenicia, SE 174 = 139/8. Diademed head of Demetrios II to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΔHMHTPIOY - ΘEOY / ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY / NIKATOPOΣ Cornucopiae; in field to right, ΔΗ ; to lower right, ΔOP. SC -, cf. 1935.2a (date ΓOP) and 1936 (without ΘEOY). Apparently unpublished. The obverse struck somewhat off center, otherwise, very fine.


What sets this coin apart from SC 1936 is the appearance of the epithet ΘEOY, 'god', on the reverse, which was hitherto believed to have been dropped at the ΔH mint in SE 174. Thus, its emergence attests that the decision to leave this epithet of the king out must have been made sometime after the beginning of the new year, although not more than a couple of days or weeks thereafter, as the present issue was struck from the same obverse die as lot 1666 from SE 173 above.