By Steven Battelle
Located in Soquel, CA
A rare and authentic silver "tetradrachm" coin from Seleukos I Nikator 312-281 BC depicts Athena driving a "quadriga" (a chariot) pulled by 4 horned elephants. Seleucus was a Macedonian Greek general who was one of the successors of Alexander the Great. In the power struggles that followed Alexander's death, he became ruler of Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia, and the Iranian Plateau, eventually assuming the title of basileus (king). The state he established on these territories, the Seleucid Empire, was one of the major powers of the Hellenistic world, until being overcome by the Roman Republic and Parthian Empire in the late second and early first centuries BC. In 306 BC Seleucus attempted to invade India, and in the subsequent settlement with the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta, he obtained 500 war elephants which were later used in campaigns in the west. Although no "quadrigas" were ever actually pulled by 4 elephants, Seleukos chose to use this image on his coinage. The opposite side of the coin features Zeus, king of the gods. This is an extremely rare coin not usually seen in jewelry. It is set in a signature handmade Steven Battelle 22K gold hammered...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Classical Greek Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, 22k Gold