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Numismatics :
Persian Coins : Carian Silver Tetradrachm Minted Under Satrap Hidrieus
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Carian Silver Tetradrachm Minted Under Satrap Hidrieus - C.2248
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Circa: 353
BC
to 344
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Style: Carian
Medium: Silver
$5,600.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: Laureate Head of Apollo
Reverse: Zeus Labraundos Standing Holding a
Labrys and a Spear
The Achaemenid kings, ruling a land empire too
vast to be governed from Persepolis, divided
their territory into twenty districts, to be
administered by satraps. These governors were
responsible for all military and fiscal affairs
within their provinces, and many quickly followed
the route to wealth and power. Using their
autonomy to its fullest, the satraps governing the
eastern Greek states gained control of the wealth
of Asia Minor, represented by the region's
productive mines and the profitable trade routes
between east and west. These factors played a
role in the development of the earliest coinage
from Asia Minor. The satraps of Caria, starting
with Hyssaldomos, would rule as a virtually
independent dynasty for almost a century,
strengthening their own position against that of
their ostensible overlord, the Persian king in far
Persepolis. Hekatomnos struck the first coins
for the Carian satrapy, copying the lion types of
Miletos. His later issues introduced the type that
would become the emblem of the dynasty, the
figure of Zeus Labraundos, whose temple was
near Mylasa, the birthplace of Hekatomnos.
Hekatomnos died in 377 BC, to be followed in
succession by each of his three sons, Maussollos,
Hidrieus and Pixodaros. Maussollos expanded
his territory at the expense of his neighboring
satraps and in defiance of the Persian king. He
moved the capital from Mylasa to Halikarnassos,
at which point the facing head of Apollo/Helios
becomes the standard obverse type for the
Carian tetradrachm. Although condemned by the
Greek authors for his avarice and thirst for
power, the satrap was acknowledged as a man of
culture, embellishing his capital with remarkable
architecture (his Mausoleum being one of the
Wonders of the Ancient World), and encouraging
the study of science and art. Hidrieus continued
in his brother's footsteps and added the islands
of Chios, Kos and Rhodes to his domain, three
important centers of commerce which had until
then managed to fend off the growing Carian
empire (which by now it was in all but name).
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 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 stunning hand-struck coin reveals
an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate
sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is more than an artifact; it is a memorial
cast in precious metal to the wonders of an
ancient empire passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation.
- (C.2248)
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