Obverse: Turreted Head of Tyche Facing Right
Reverse: Legend "SMYRNAIWN" and Monogram
Encircled by Wreath
Due to its strategic location on the Aegean coast
of Asia Minor and its connections with the
interior, the ancient city of Smyrna (modern
Izmir, Turkey) was an important center of trade
and remains so today. The city was originally
founded by Greek colonists and soon rose to
prominence, becoming one of the leading city-
states of Ionia. The rise of the Lydians in the 7th
century B.C. imperiled the fortunes of the city.
Although Smyrna was able to hold out for several
decades, it was eventually conquered and sacked
by the forces of King Alyattes II and the Greek
culture of the city was ostensibly supplanted.
Legend has it that Alexander the Great decided
to rebuild the Greek city, albeit in a nearby
location from the ruins of the ancient city.
However, it was not until the reigns of his
followers Antigonus and Lysimachus that his
plans were actually carried out and Smyrna again
prospered. At the beginning of the 2nd century
B.C., Smyrna cut ties with the Attalid kings of
Pergamum and allied themselves with the
Romans. By the time the last Attalid king
Eumenes III dies without an heir, the Romans
gained control of all their possessions, including
Smyrna. Under Roman domination, Smyrna
remained one the principal cities of Asia Minor.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether currency in
the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten
empire. This ancient coin is more than an
artifact; it is a memorial to the glories of an
ancient city passed from the hands of civilization
to civilization, from generation to generation.
