Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XVI 26 Sep 2018
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Cilicia, Tarsos AR Stater. Circa 455-400 BC. Horseman (Syennesis?) riding to left, holding lotus flower in right hand and reins in left, bow in bowcase on saddle; Key symbol below horse / Persian soldier advancing to right, bow and quiver over shoulder, extending both hands with uncertain object in right, towards Greek soldier seated to left on quiver, wearing crested Attic helmet, supporting himself with his left hand, bow on the ground at his side; all within incuse square. Unpublished in the standard references including: BMC -; Traité -; Casabonne -; MIMAA -; SNG France -; SNG Levante -. 10.70g, 20mm, 6h.
Good Very Fine. Apparently unique and unpublished, and of very great numismatic and historical interest.
From the collection of P.R., United Kingdom.
This remarkable coin defies explanation at the present state of knowledge. That it depicts an interaction between two soldiers, one a Persian and the other of Greek style, seems reasonable enough. The Persian, on the left, carries a slung bow and quiver denoting a military aspect; he is not crowned, thus we may assume he is not a king, nor does he seem to wear the kyrbasia that would indicate satrapal rank. The figure on the right wears a crested helmet apparently of Attic style; his attire is otherwise uncertain. He may wear a fitted cuirass and a tunic that reaches down over his upper legs, he could be bare to the waist and wearing a loincloth, or he may be simply dressed in a long, light, belted tunic only - the detail is too uncertain to make a definitive judgement. Beneath him are clearly visible a quiver with arrows within, and both ends of his bow, strung for action.
The great question which prevents us from determining with any more precision what kind of interaction this scene could depict centres on what the Persian soldier is doing with his hands. He holds an object in his right hand; his fingers are oriented downwards in the manner that one would wield a sword or dagger; a line beyond the end of his hand could be the hilt of such a weapon. In this case we might suppose that with his left hand he is grasping the crest of the Greek's helmet, while with his left foot he prepares to tread on his opponent. Yet if we are to see in this the act of stabbing a fallen enemy, the design could have been rendered in a more conspicuous manner - no blade is visible, and a blow to the upper arm as it appears would seem misplaced.
What is the alternative? It is conceivable that the Persian proffers some object to the Greek - a message perhaps - but the positioning of his foot and placing his hand over the recipient's head seems bizarre and more than a little unwelcome. Other explanations may present themselves to the imaginative observer (the defeat by Megabyzos of the Egyptian revolt led by Inaros II and supported by an Athenian task force in 455 BC?) or one with specialist knowledge perhaps. In the meantime we can only safely say that it is a numismatic scene with no existing parallel we are aware of, and is a highly important addition to the corpus of the early coinage of Tarsos.
Good Very Fine. Apparently unique and unpublished, and of very great numismatic and historical interest.
From the collection of P.R., United Kingdom.
This remarkable coin defies explanation at the present state of knowledge. That it depicts an interaction between two soldiers, one a Persian and the other of Greek style, seems reasonable enough. The Persian, on the left, carries a slung bow and quiver denoting a military aspect; he is not crowned, thus we may assume he is not a king, nor does he seem to wear the kyrbasia that would indicate satrapal rank. The figure on the right wears a crested helmet apparently of Attic style; his attire is otherwise uncertain. He may wear a fitted cuirass and a tunic that reaches down over his upper legs, he could be bare to the waist and wearing a loincloth, or he may be simply dressed in a long, light, belted tunic only - the detail is too uncertain to make a definitive judgement. Beneath him are clearly visible a quiver with arrows within, and both ends of his bow, strung for action.
The great question which prevents us from determining with any more precision what kind of interaction this scene could depict centres on what the Persian soldier is doing with his hands. He holds an object in his right hand; his fingers are oriented downwards in the manner that one would wield a sword or dagger; a line beyond the end of his hand could be the hilt of such a weapon. In this case we might suppose that with his left hand he is grasping the crest of the Greek's helmet, while with his left foot he prepares to tread on his opponent. Yet if we are to see in this the act of stabbing a fallen enemy, the design could have been rendered in a more conspicuous manner - no blade is visible, and a blow to the upper arm as it appears would seem misplaced.
What is the alternative? It is conceivable that the Persian proffers some object to the Greek - a message perhaps - but the positioning of his foot and placing his hand over the recipient's head seems bizarre and more than a little unwelcome. Other explanations may present themselves to the imaginative observer (the defeat by Megabyzos of the Egyptian revolt led by Inaros II and supported by an Athenian task force in 455 BC?) or one with specialist knowledge perhaps. In the meantime we can only safely say that it is a numismatic scene with no existing parallel we are aware of, and is a highly important addition to the corpus of the early coinage of Tarsos.