Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 106 9-10 May 2018
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Paphos, Uncertain king, 525 – 480. Siglos circa 525-480, AR 11.33 g. si ro mo [..] se in Cypriot characters Man-faced bull crouching r., head l. Rev. ba in Cypriot characters Astragalos. Traité II –. BMC p. lxv, pl. XXI, 2 (this obverse die). Jameson 2334 (these dies). ANSMN 15, 1969, 18 (this coin). Masson and Amandry pl. I, 3 (this coin). Weber 7701. De Luynes 3006.
Extremely rare. An issue of tremendous interest and fascination, surface
somewhat porous, otherwise very fine / good very fine
Ex Spink & Son sale 40, 1984, 244.
According to Greek mythological tradition, when famine struck Cilicia, a son of a Phoenician woman named Paphos and a Syrian called Sandokos, sailed to Cyprus in search of more fertile lands. Upon his arrival in southwestern Cyprus, Kinyras founded the city of Paphos in honour of his mother, and established a temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess who guided him on his journey. Aphrodite was herself closely associated with the site of Paphos. It was believed that when she was born from the sea foam, Aphrodite came ashore on Cyprus at a promontory near Paphos. The city's temple of Aphrodite - actually Phoenician Astarte, whom the Greeks considered a form of their own goddess of love - was already famous in the time of Homer and had a reputation for its oracle. Its priests, known as the Kinyradai, claimed descent from Kinyras and wielded the power of kings in the city. Siromos(?), the Paphian ruler named on this stater, is thought to have been a Kinyrad king of the late fifth century B.C., but almost nothing is known about his reign. The coin types allude to both geographical features of his kingdom and the cult of Aphrodite at Paphos. The obverse type depicts a man-faced bull - the usual Greek means of representing a river-god - that almost certainly represents the River Bokaros. The mouth of this small river formed the harbour of Paphos. The reverse type represents an astragalos (knucklebone). Astragaloi were thrown in a manner similar to dice and were frequently used in ritual fashion to divine the will of the gods. Here the astragalos is thought to indicate the method by which the oracle of Aphrodite determined answers to the questions asked of it.
Extremely rare. An issue of tremendous interest and fascination, surface
somewhat porous, otherwise very fine / good very fine
Ex Spink & Son sale 40, 1984, 244.
According to Greek mythological tradition, when famine struck Cilicia, a son of a Phoenician woman named Paphos and a Syrian called Sandokos, sailed to Cyprus in search of more fertile lands. Upon his arrival in southwestern Cyprus, Kinyras founded the city of Paphos in honour of his mother, and established a temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess who guided him on his journey. Aphrodite was herself closely associated with the site of Paphos. It was believed that when she was born from the sea foam, Aphrodite came ashore on Cyprus at a promontory near Paphos. The city's temple of Aphrodite - actually Phoenician Astarte, whom the Greeks considered a form of their own goddess of love - was already famous in the time of Homer and had a reputation for its oracle. Its priests, known as the Kinyradai, claimed descent from Kinyras and wielded the power of kings in the city. Siromos(?), the Paphian ruler named on this stater, is thought to have been a Kinyrad king of the late fifth century B.C., but almost nothing is known about his reign. The coin types allude to both geographical features of his kingdom and the cult of Aphrodite at Paphos. The obverse type depicts a man-faced bull - the usual Greek means of representing a river-god - that almost certainly represents the River Bokaros. The mouth of this small river formed the harbour of Paphos. The reverse type represents an astragalos (knucklebone). Astragaloi were thrown in a manner similar to dice and were frequently used in ritual fashion to divine the will of the gods. Here the astragalos is thought to indicate the method by which the oracle of Aphrodite determined answers to the questions asked of it.