Obverse: Turreted and Veiled Head of Tyche
Facing Right
Reverse: Zeus Enthroned Left, Holding Nike and
Scepter
The Seleucid Kingdom was established by
Seleukos I, one of the generals of Alexander the
Great, following the death of Alexander and the
division of his empire. At its peak under Seleukos
I and Antiochus I, the Seleucid Kingdom
comprised almost the whole of the conquests of
Alexander with the exception of Egypt. Seleukis
and Pieria, also known as Seleucia Pieria, was a
Mediterranean port located near the mouth of
the Orontes River in modern Turkey. It served as
the main port for the Seleucid capital of Antioch,
much the same way Ostia would later serve as
the main port for Rome. Functioning as both a
commercial and naval seaport, the city was of
immense strategic importance to the Seleucids.
During their war with Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleukis
and Pieria was captured, liberated, and
recaptured several times until finally in 219 B.C.,
Seleucid King Antiochus III the Great liberated
the city from Ptolemaic occupation for the final
time. Soon after, the city obtained autonomy
and was granted the right to mint coinage,
revealing the extent of its commercial wealth.
Historically, Seleukis and Pieria is noted as being
the point of departure from which St. Paul set
forth on his first missionary journey.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether currency in
the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten
empire. This ancient coin is more than an
artifact; it is a memorial to a lost kingdom
passed from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.0189)
|
