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Drachm - Alexander I Balas Antioch on the Orontes
| Issuer | Seleucid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 151 BC - 149 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Alexander I Balas seized the Seleucid throne by claiming to be the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes — a claim almost certainly fabricated, likely with Ptolemaic and Roman backing engineered to destabilize Demetrius I. His coinage from Antioch during this early window, 151–149 BC, predates his consolidation of Syria and reflects a ruler still fighting for recognition rather than administering an empire. Demetrius I was dead by 150 BC, killed in battle, but the legitimacy question never fully resolved itself.
SC 1785.1a is among the earlier die groupings for this type, placing it at the very start of his mint output from Antioch.