Antiochus VII Euergetes AR Tetradrachm (Diademed head/eagle, HGC 9 1074)

ANTIOCHUS VII EUERGETES, 138-129 BC
AR Tetradrachm (27.80mm, 12.70g, 12h)
Struck 136/5 BC. Tyre mint
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus VII right
Reverse: ANTIOXOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on prow, palm branch behind, club to lower left, monograms in fields
References: HGC 9 1074, SNG Spaer 2021

Darkly toned with some edge chips. Around the time this coin was minted, Antiochus VII had concluded the year-long siege of Jerusalem with the receipt of a rich payment of 3,000 talents of silver from the reigning Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus I. We are told this silver was removed from the Sepulcher of King David, and some have speculated that these locally minted tetradrachms from Tyre may have actually been struck from this same silver specie.

Colección : Greek - Hellenistic period