The Besieger by Sea-ger: A rare hidden anchor instead of the usual iconography on a Demetrios Poliorketes MSC

[Ryro]

One of the best parts of being a Mako shield whacko is all of the hidden easter eggs you'll find. 

Take for example the area between the helmet and left bushel of Demetrios Poliorketes

monogrammed MSCs. You'll find everything from Pan's lagobolon, swords, Labyrs, pellets, crescents, grapes and today I acquired the first, and only that I've come across, anchor(?!). 

Though, Demetrios was well known as a seaman, the anchor had long been known as the emblem of another Diadochi, someone whom was part of the combined forces that killed his father at Ipsus via a VOLLEY OF SPEARS

Seleukos.

Seleukos would later take Demetrios hostage where after a few years he would die despite his own sons best attempts at rescuing him. 

So, it seems strange, yet here we find an anchor on one of Demetrios coins:

Demetrios Poliorketes, Macedon, possibly Pella, (306-283 BC) AE (bronze, 16 mm, 3,96 g)

Obv: Macedonian shield with ΔHΡ monogram of Demetrios

Rev: BA-ΣI, Macedonian helmet with cheek flaps. Anchor between bushel and helmet left

 

Please post your coins of Demetrios Poliorketes, Seleukos, anchors, shields or whatever you may feel adds to the story. 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Very neat!  I only have one MSC, my co-first coin, which isn't photographed, and likely never to be until coin photography becomes foolproof.  It took me years to figure out what it was.  That was in the 1980's, before the internet made it easier to ID stuff.  It is kind of neat that the coin is also shaped like a shield.

The other co-first coin is probably a Nero, and it kind of looks like the Annona type.  It's in much poorer condition than the MSC, which itself is only VG.

[kirispupis]

Very interesting find!

It's funny. I noticed that coin at this morning's auction and I actually had my finger over the "bid" button, but then I reasoned that I don't really collect MSCs so it's better in the hands of someone who does. Glad it was you who picked it up!

As you may know, Seleukos and Demetrios weren't always enemies. Seleukos' second wife (and later wife of Antiochos) was Stratonike, who was the daughter of Demetrios and Phila. The wedding itself was held in Macedon. It seems likely that your coin was minted with this union in mind, so perhaps around 300 BCE.

Here's a relatively rare coin from Stratonikeia, named in her honor, that I believe was minted under Antiochos I.

Caria, Stratonikeia
Circa 3rd century BCE
Æ 12mm 1,82g
Diademed head of Herakles right /
Lion skin set on club; CTPATONIKEIΩN around
Apparently unpublished

 

[Deinomenid]

3 hours ago, Ryro said:

Please post your coins of Demetrios Poliorketes

This is the closest I can get. On the long list of his wives was one quite powerful one, the Sicilian Tyrant Agathokle's daughter, Lanassa, who had the island  of Corfu as her dowry. After she left  her first husband Pyrrhus, she/her father offered it to Demetrios - who accepted.

Demetrios was also brother-in-law to Pyrrhus. It all gets a bit complicated so here's a coin from D-P's father-in-law...

 

Sicily, Syracuse Agathokles 5 Litrae circa 310-305, EL 8.00 mm., 0.67 g.
Head of nymph r., wearing single-pendant earring and necklace. Rev. Octopus

 

[Deinomenid]

Nearly didn't add this as  it's purely my conjecture but just re the anchor. Demetrios found  the reported love of his life at sea when he captured the famous courtesan Lamia at the Battle of Salamis. 

Probably one of the most  famous ever, up there with Perikles' friend Aspasia.

Fun fact, Lamia was so influential she had not one  but two  temples  built in her honor, if not quite name.

[dougsmit]

9 hours ago, Ryro said:

Please post your coins of Demetrios Poliorketes, Seleukos, anchors, shields or whatever you may feel adds to the story. 

My two coins of My Demetrios Poliorketes are both the same unless you count one being huge and silver and the other being small and AE13.  As these go, the AE is relatively nice while the tetradrachm is something of a junk box find from the days when there were large silver tetradrachms in junk boxes.  I doubt anyone here has a worse one.  I wonder if the slab fans would question calling this one a 1/5.  I knew when I saw it that I would never have a perfect one.  I miss the late Don Zauche and his half price boxes.  The rear section of the prow is extremely thick compared to the rest of the coin

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[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It's better than my Caesar portrait denarius, that's for sure.  Most of the 1990's physical junk boxes that I scoured through were at HJB's store.  I recall a ton of Azes, but I don't recall any large ones. I wish I had come across those junk boxes!

I had a lot of fun going through the HJB junk boxes.

I think that a huge Justinian follis of mine (holed) might have been in a Jon Kern junk box.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Nerosmyfavorite68