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Numismatics :
Persian Coins : Silver Stater Struck Under the Satrap Mazaios
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Silver Stater Struck Under the Satrap Mazaios - C.2217
Origin: Minted in Tarsus
Circa: 361
BC
to 334
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Style: Cilician
Medium: Silver
$2,700.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: The God Baal Enthroned Facing Left Holding an Eagle, an Ear of Grain, and a Bunch of Grapes
Reverse: A Lion Attacking a Bull
Cilicia is an ancient region of southeastern Asia Minor (modern Turkey), along the Mediterranean north of Cyprus. It included a high and barren plateau, Cilicia Trachia, an inhospitable region that served as shelter for pirates, and a richly fertile plain, Cilicia Pedias, that served as a strategic passageway throughout history. The area was under the domination of the Assyrian Empire before it became part of the Persian Empire. The Greeks settled on the coast early on, and Cilicia was Hellenized to a great extent. Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia and one of the most important cities in Asia Minor. Tarsus continued to flourish even after the region became part of the Roman Empire, reaching the height of its prosperity and cultural achievements, including being the birthplace of St. Paul. Mazaios was the satrap, or governor, of Tarsus under the Persians. Famed historian Plutarch described him as “the greatest Persian after Darius.” This remarkable complement indicates that Mazaios might have simultaneously held the post of the Herzaraptis (the commanding officer of the Spearbearer’s Regimen) while serving as satrap.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or 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 might have touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after it leaves our hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and location, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. This magnificent coin is memorial to the ancient glory of Tarsus, passed down from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.2217)
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