208 



EECREATIYE SCIENCE. 



tlie copper have a fine head on the obverse, 

 and a well executed eagle grasping a thunder- 

 bolt on the reverse. The small copper have 

 the portrait with the radiated crown — the 

 first time it appears on this series. 



Antiochus V. (from 162 to 150 B.C.) His 

 coins may be distinguished by his surname 

 ETHATOP (Eupator). 



In the space of this article it will only be 

 possible to give the names and surnames of the 

 remaining members of this dynasty. Deme- 

 trius I. (Soter) reigned over a portion of the 

 empire, from 162 to 150 B.C. ; Alexander Bala, 

 from 150 to 147 B.C. ; the reigns of Deme- 

 trius II. (Nicator), Antiochus VI. (Diony- 

 sius Epiphanes), Diodotus, Triphon, and 

 Antiochus VII. (Sidetes), occupy together, 

 in a time of general disturbance, from 147 

 to 125 B.C. Alexander Zebina reigned from 

 125 to 124 B.C. ; his portrait has sometimes a 

 crown of rays, but sometimes a simple fillet. 

 Seleucus IV., who reigned for a short time, 

 124 B.C., has left no coins ; Antiochus VIII. 

 (Grypus) reigned from 124 to 76 B.C., over 

 a portion of the kingdom ; Antiochus IX. 

 (Cyzicenus), from about 111 to 91 B.C., 

 reigned in some of the provinces. Then 

 foUows Seleucus VI. (Epiphanes Nicator), 

 from 96 to 94 B.C. Antiochus X. (Eusebes, 

 and on his coins Philopater), Antiochus XI., 

 Antiochus XII., and Demetrius III., reigned 

 alternately or simidtaneously from 96 to 83 

 B.C. Most of the coins of these last princes 

 and pretenders have for reverse a sitting 

 figure of Jupiter, similar to that on the 

 tetradrachms of Alexander the Great, but 

 poorly executed, and are of base metal. 

 Tigranes the Armenian reigned over great 

 part of the Syrian dominions, from 83 

 to 69 B.C. ; and his coins with the portrait, 

 wearing the curious Armenian cap or crown, 

 are very remarkable. Antiochus XIII., from 

 69 to 65 B.C., about which period the whole 

 of the remaining Asiatic dominions of the 

 kings of Syria were declared a Eoman pro- 

 vince by Pompey. Most of the coins of this 



series may be easily recognized by a young 

 numismatist after a little experience. The 

 dates of the Seleucidsean dynasty on many of 

 them at once settle the difficulty ; and in the 

 earlier part of the series the surnames are 

 also distinguishing features. But it is only 

 the complimentary surnames that are found 

 on the coinage, many of those by which they 

 are historically known being popular appel- 

 lations, not officially acknowledged. The 

 monographic names of cities are another 

 means of identification ; and after a time a 

 collector will get to know the portraits, 

 which are all evidently careful likenesses. 



Since the foregoing was written, the trea- 

 sures of the celebrated numismatic cabinet 

 of the late Lord Northwick have been dis- 

 persed, and among them some noble gold 

 coins of the regal series of Syria. A very 

 rare one of Antiochus V. (Eupator), weigh- 

 ing 255f^ grains, brought £18 10*. It 

 was formerly in the Thomas collection, at 

 the dispersion of which it was sold for £10, 

 proving that really rare coins, in fine condi- 

 tion, are rapidly increasing in value. A gold 

 coin of Demetrius II., bearing the date 5nP 

 (186), sold, with some others, for £21 ; the 

 date being interesting as that of the year of 

 his assassination at Tyre. In the confusion 

 of successions, the same date occurs on money 

 struck by his wife Cleopatra, and on the 

 coins of his son, Antiochus VIII., and Alex- 

 ander II. But the great gem of the Syrian 

 series in this collection was the splendid gold 

 tetradrachm (weight 257 grains), struck by 

 Cleopatra, the mother of Antiochus VIII., 

 during her regency. This coin was described 

 in the catalogue as " rare to excess." Mion- 

 net, in his fifth supplement, cites the North- 

 wick cabinet as containing this rare coin, of 

 which he only knew one other example. 

 After considerable competition, the numis- 

 matic prize was purchased for the British 

 Museum for the sum of £240 ! 



H. NOEI. HUMPHBEYS. 



