Uncertain coinage of Aphrodisias Staters Silver fractions
Uncertain coinage of Aphrodisias
It is not clear whether any coins minted in the pre-Hellenistic period can be attributed to Aphrodisias. The staters with Aphrodite seated on a throne flanked by two sphinxes on the obverse and Athena on the reverse (Type 1) could perhaps come from this city, but this attribution is not unanimously accepted. Sometimes these coins are attributed to Nagidos because of their similarity to the staters minted under the satrap Pharnabazus (see Nagidos, Type 2.1). Against this, however, is the fact that all Nagidos staters and third staters bear some form of the city ethnic. Casabonne 2004, p.118, does not rule out Aphrodisias and, based on a typological comparison with the coinage of Holmoi and Pharnabazus, suggests a mintage period of c. 380–375 BC.
Several types of silver fractions are also tentatively attributed to Aphrodisias on this page. First, the obols with a similar design on the obverse and the head of Hermes on the reverse (Type 2). Notice that these obols share with the staters not only the obverse design but also the line border on the reverse. Second, the hemioboles with a seated male figure on the obverse and the head of Athena on the reverse (Type 3), due to the similarity of the composition of the obverse. Third, fractions with the Gorgoneion on the obverse and a seated sphinx on the reverse (Types 4, 5 and 6). These Gorgoneion/sphinx coins are sometimes attributed to Mallos in auction catalogues based on their similarity to Mallos third staters with a sphinx on the obverse and a swan on the reverse.1 However, on the Mallos coins the sphinx has its head facing the viewer of the coin, while on the coins of Types 4–6 it faces ahead and wears a crown.
The attribution of all coin types presented on this page to Aphrodisias is uncertain and this is especially true for Types 3–6.
1 See Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 342 (14 January 2015), Lot 323 (acsearch.info URL), and Nomos AG, Obolos Web Auction 5 (26 June 2016), Lot 406 (acsearch.info URL).
Staters
Type 1 | |
Denomination: | AR Stater |
Obverse: | Aphrodite seated left on throne flanked by two sphinxes, holding flower in raised right hand; dotted border. |
Reverse: | Athena Parthenos standing and facing, wearing triple-crested helmet and long robes, holding branch-bearing Nike in right hand supported by olive tree trunk and resting left hand on shield, snakes rearing from her shoulders; line border. |
References: | SNG France 2, 22 (attributed to Nagidos); American Numismatic Society, 1967.152.486 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia); BMC 21, p. 112, 15 (attributed to Nagidos) = The British Museum, 1867,1226.1 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Caria) = Sear 2, 5523 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia); Imhoof-Blumer 1883, p. 372, 76, and analysis on pp. 373–5 (attributed to Nagidos); Imhoof-Blumer 1902, p. 434, 1, and analysis on pp. 434–6 (reattributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia) |
Credit: | The Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Gallica, Identifier: ark:/12148/btv1b11317886g (see the reference above) |
Remark: | The reverse replicates the monumental chryselephantine sculpture of Athena on the Athenian Acropolis which was made by Pheidias between 447 and 438 BC. However, on this coin, Athena’s right hand is supported by a tree trunk, rather than a pillar often seen in known sculpured reproductions of Pheidias’ sculpture. The tree is bare except for one leafy branch. This may represent an event of 480 BC mentioned by Herodotus (Histories, 8.55): a shoot of about a cubit’s length sprung from the stump of Athena’s sacred olive tree the day after the Persians burned the tree and the rest of the sacred precinct. See Ridgway 1992, pp. 131–5 and p. 184 (cat. 57). |
Silver fractions
Type 2 | |
Denomination: | AR Obol |
Obverse: | Aphrodite seated left on throne flanked by two sphinxes, holding flower in raised right hand; dotted border. | |
Reverse: | Head of Hermes left, wearing petasos; line border. | |
Variants: | a. | obv.: no object in Aphrodite’s left hand |
b. | obv.: Aphrodite holding sceptre in left hand | |
References: | a. | Aquila Numismatics, Auction 3 (2 July 2022), Lot 296 (acsearch.info URL) |
b. | SNG Levante, 255 (attributed to an uncertain Cilician mint); Göktürk 2000, 49 (attributed to an uncertain mint in Cilicia); Forrer/Weber 3, 7508 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia) = Sear 2, 5525 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia); The British Museum, 1922,0425.72 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Caria) and 2003,1102.8 (uncertainly attributed to Nagidos); several specimens on the market, e.g. Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 533 (22 February 2023), Lot 195 (acsearch.info URL) | |
Credit (see the references above): | ||
a. | Aquila Numismatics | |
b. | Classical Numismatic Group |
Type 3 | |
Denomination: | AR Hemiobol |
Obverse: | Male deity seated left on throne flanked by two sphinxes, holding patera in raised right hand. |
Reverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet. |
References: | Roma Numismatics Limited, E-Sale 79 (14 January 2021), Lot 334 (acsearch.info URL) |
Credit: | Roma Numismatics Limited (see the reference above) |
Type 4 | |
Denomination: | AR Obol |
Obverse: | Gorgoneion facing, wearing triple-pendant earrings; line border. |
Reverse: | Crowned winged sphinx seated left. |
References: | SNG France 2, 479 (attributed to an uncertain Cilician mint); SNG Levante, 250 (attributed to an uncertain Cilician mint); Göktürk 2000, 48 (attributed to an uncertain Cilician mint); BMC 21, p. 113, 16 (attributed to Nagidos) = The British Museum, 1867,1226.1 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Caria) = Sear 2, 5524 (attributed to Aphrodisias in Cilicia); several specimens on the market, e.g. Roma Numismatics Limited, E-Live Auction 5 (27 September 2022), Lot 412 (acsearch.info URL) |
Credit: | Roma Numismatics Limited (see the reference above) |
Type 5 | |
Denomination: | AR Hemiobol or Tetartemorion |
Obverse: | Gorgoneion facing. |
Reverse: | Crowned winged sphinx seated right. |
References: | Leu Numismatik, Web Auction 17 (14 August 2021), Lot 1203 (acsearch.info URL) |
Credit: | Leu Numismatik (see the reference above) |
Type 6 | |
Denomination: | AR Hemitetartemorion |
Obverse: | Gorgoneion facing. |
Reverse: | Crowned winged sphinx seated left. |
References: | Nomos AG, Obolos Web Auction 5 (26 June 2016), Lot 431 (acsearch.info URL) |
Credit: | Nomos AG (see the reference above) |
11 July 2021 – 7 September 2024