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Drachm - Alexander I Balas
| Issuer | Seleucid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 150 BC |
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| Reference(s) | SC#1.1785.4; 9#887a |
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| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Alexander I Balas seized the Seleucid throne by presenting himself as a son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes — a claim most modern historians consider fabricated, likely with Attalid and Roman backing to destabilize Demetrius I. Rome formally recognized him in 150 BC, the same year this issue begins. His reign lasted only until 145 BC, when he was defeated by Demetrius II and his own father-in-law Ptolemy VI, who briefly held the diadem himself before dying of battle wounds.
SC 1785.4 places this piece within the first regnal year's output, identifiable by specific die characteristics catalogued by Houghton and Lorber.