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Tetradrachm - Alexander I Balas Laodikeia in Phoenicia (Berytos)
| Issuer | Seleucid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 150 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-necked, diademed portrait bust of Alexander I Balas facing right, rendered in the Hellenistic portrait tradition with voluminous, tightly curled hair secured by a plain royal diadem whose ties fall behind the neck. The facial features are finely modeled with a prominent nose, strong chin, and a naturalistic eye. The field is plain and unlettered, and the entire design is enclosed within a fine dotted border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BAΣIΛEΩΣ - AΛEΞANΔPOY ΓΞP |
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| Additional information |
Alexander I Balas seized the Seleucid throne in 150 BC by claiming to be the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes — a claim almost certainly fabricated, backed by Rome, Pergamon, and Egypt as a counterweight to Demetrius I. His coinage from Laodikeia ad Mare and the Phoenician coastal mints reflects the urgent need to pay troops and project legitimacy simultaneously. Berytos, modern Beirut, operated as a mint of particular strategic value given its harbor and its role in Phoenician commerce.
The Sawaya die study identifies a tight sequence for this issue, with D5 placing it among the earlier dies of the Berytos production run.