Lot 1766

Description

Syria, Kingdom of, Demetrios III, (95-88 B.C.), silver tetradrachm, (15.8 grams), Damascus mint, issued year 224 = 89-8 B.C., obv. diademed head of bearded Demetrius III to right, fillet border, rev. Atargatis standing facing, holding flower in left hand, barley stalk behind each shoulder, on right, **BASILEWS/ DHMHTRIOU/ QEOU, and **FILOPATOROS/ SWTHROS, with N over A in left field, in exergue date **DKS, (cf.S.7191, LSM [NN&M 84] No.129 var., ACNAC Houghton 861 var. = NFA auction XVIII March 31, 1987 [lot 397 US$4400], BMC -). Extremely fine and very rare.

Demetrius III held Damascus from 96/5-88/7 B.C., having secured this city for himself with the support of Ptolemy Lathyrus of Cyprus. Demetrius revived the Damascene coinage, (not issued since 104-3), retaining the practice of dating the coins (which had fallen into disuse at other mints). Instead of employing a Seleucid royal type, his coinage depicted the great Syrian goddess Atargatis. Like many Anatolian and north Syrian fertility gods, she is represented mummiform. She is covered with leaves or petals, as befits a vegetation deity, and on her chest, as Newell suspected is a facing head, perhaps an anthropomorphic solar symbol.