Emperor: Antiochos VII Euergetes

Emperor: Antiochos VII Euergetes. Denomination: Æ bronze. Material: bronze. Reign: 138–129 BC. Years minted: 138–129 BC. Weight: 7.5 g (typical). Diameter: 20 mm (typical). Obverse: prow right; surrounding legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΔΟΡ; dotted border. Reverse: ornamented trident; monogram to inner left; plain field otherwise. Strike: hammered, centered, moderate relief with full legends. Toning: dark green patina with lighter earthen accretions. References: SC 2063.2; HGC 9, 1085; attributed to the mint of Antioch on the Orontes, Seleucid Empire. Antiochos VII Euergetes, the last effective monarch of the Seleucid Empire, produced this bronze denomination at Antioch between 138 and 129 BC to meet local transactional needs as silver output declined. The prow motif continues a Hellenistic naval emblem first employed by earlier Seleucid rulers, while the trident on the reverse underscores maritime associations and state control of coastal resources. The coin exemplifies late Seleucid monetary policy, which relied increasingly on small-value bronze amid fiscal pressures from ongoing wars with the Parthians and regional revolts. Its standardized legend affirmed royal legitimacy during a period of territorial contraction; after Antiochos VII’s defeat and death, organized Seleucid bronze coinage ceased in many areas, marking the empire’s rapid fragmentation.