BAKTRIA, Greco-Baktrian Kingdom. Diodotos I, circa 255-235 BC. Stater (Gold, 17 mm, 8.26 g, 7 h), in the name of the Seleukid King Antiochos II (?), mint A (near Aï Khanoum), circa 255-250 (?). Diademed head of Diodotos I to right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ANTIOXOY Zeus advancing to left, seen from behind, his extended left arm draped with an aegis and preparing to hurl a thunderbolt with his right hand; at his feet to left, eagle standing left; in inner left field, N. Bopearachchi -. SC 629.1. SNG ANS -. Rare without the usual test cut. A well struck and clear example with a splendid portrait struck in high relief. Very minor die break on the obverse and with tiny marks, otherwise, extremely fine.
It has recently been suggested by J. Jakobsson, in a tempting proposal, that this issue was not struck in the name of the Seleukid King Antiochos II but by an otherwise unattested Antiochos Nikator, son of Diodotos I and brother of Diodotos II. He bases his theory on three main arguments: a.) in contemporary cases of gradual evolutions towards independence, most notably at Pergamon and Kyrene, it is always the name on the reverse that changes first, not the obverse portrait. A coin naming Antiochos II but showing Diodotos I would therefore be quite unusual, b.) the famous pedigree coins of Agathokles, struck in the early 2nd century BC, name among others a certain 'Antiochios Nikator', who bears an epithet that neither Antiochos I nor Antiochos II ever used, and c.) three of the reverse monograms and symbols of the Greco-Baktrian coins in the name of 'Antiochos' were reused by Euthydemos I (circa 225-200 BC), suggesting that they are to be placed at the end of the Diodotic dynasty rather than at the beginning. Jakobsson therefore concludes that Diodotos I was succeeded by his sons Diodotos II and Antiochos Nikator, in that order, of whom the latter was, in turn, overthrown by Euthydemos I. While this reconstruction is quite compelling, the early coinage of the Greco-Baktrian Kingdom has long been controversial and only further research may confirm or rebut Jakobsson's suggestion. We have therefore decided to follow the traditional attribution of this issue to Diodotos I and the Seleukid King Antiochos II for the time being