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Stater - Seleucus I Nicator Babylon
| Issuer | Seleucid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 311 BC - 300 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Helmeted head of Athena facing right in high relief, rendered in the fine Hellenistic style characteristic of the Babylonian mint under Seleucus I. The goddess wears a Corinthian helmet pushed back on her head, its bowl decorated with a griffin leaping right in raised relief — a distinctive iconographic feature of this series. Flowing locks of wavy hair emerge from beneath the helmet and cascade over the neck and shoulder. The facial profile is sharply detailed, with a strong brow, almond-shaped eye, and finely modelled lips, reflecting the artistic tradition inherited from Alexander's coinage. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ MI |
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| Additional information |
Seleucus I reclaimed Babylon in 312/311 BC after defeating Antigonus Monophthalmus's forces, and that recovery — which he later used as Year One of the Seleucid Era — gave him the political footing to begin striking regal coinage in his own right. These early Babylonian gold staters follow the Alexandrine weight standard deliberately, positioning Seleucus as heir to the Macedonian conquest rather than as a breakaway dynast. The choice was calculated: Antigonus was still alive, still claiming supremacy over Alexander's former empire, and coinage was argument.