Babylon mint 317-311 BCE by Peithon son of Agenor
Hemiobol .46g
Head of Heracles right wearing a lion skin
Club, bow and quiver. Monogram to right
Price 3729
This tiny coin has an interesting history. It was minted over 2300 years ago in Babylon, which was then headed by Peithon, son of Aganor. This was a completely different Peithon than the one who headed the satrapy of Medea and was executed by Antigonos.
This is one really small coin, and one day, perhaps as its owner was heading out to buy a bottle of wine (which is what this could buy), he dropped it.
Now, I haven’t spent a lot of time in Iraq due to obvious reasons, but from all the videos I see, they have a lot of sand. So, this coin was dropped and not found – until much later.
At that point it was brushed off and sold, then eventually sold to me. Now, keep in mind that story was made up, and most likely this coin wasn’t dropped in the sand, since 23 centuries of shifting sand would have worn down this coin. Regardless how it was lost or cached, these little hemi-obols are rare because they weren’t worth as much, so they aren’t found in most caches.
As for our Peithon, he served under Antigonos and aided him at the Battle of Gaza in 312 BCE, where he was killed.
Peithon assumes control over a battalian at the Hydaspes.
Alexander III appoints Peithon satrap of India.
January
Peithon and Perdikkas accompany Alexander the Great against the Mallians.
Partition of Triparadisos. Abydos is given to Arrhidaios. Susa goes to Antigenes. Antipater is left in charge of Macedonia and is entrusted with Alexander IV and Philip III. Asandros is confirmed with Caria. Kleitos the White receives Lydia, replacing Menander. Laomedon is confirmed as satrap of Koele-Syria. Peithon is confirmed in Kophen. Seleukos receives Babylon.
Peithon is appointed by Antigonos Monophthalmos as satrap of Babylon in place of Seleukos.
Peithon is summoned by Antigonos Monophthalmos to Syria.
Demetrios Poliorketes leaves Peithon to guard Syria.
Antigonos‘s son, Demetrios I suffers a major defeat at the Battle of Gaza against Ptolemy I and Seleukos I. Peithon is killed.