Benefactor kirispupis Posted April 30 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted April 30 Recently, I added a major pickup to my collection in the last known person involved in Cyprus during the time of Alexander the Great and the Diadochi. To my great happiness, I added this example from Evnostos of Soloi. Evnostos of Soloi circa 310 BCE Æ 2.33g, 15mm, 6h Head of Aphrodite to left / Ankh within wreath. Tziambazis 145 var. (head to right, pellet within ankh) Evnostos was (probably) the son of Pasikrates of Soloi and married Ptolemy I's daughter with Thais - Eirene. For a detailed analysis of this, see van Oppen's paper on the union. The pickup completed my Cyprus collection and leaves me with only three coins left in my People of Philip II, Alexander III, and the Era of the Diadochi collection. To explain the rest, I've created this helpful table. Kingdom Kings before Alexander King during Siege of Tyre King(s) after Siege of Tyre Minted Coins? Supported Alexander? Ptolemy vs Perdikkas Ptolemy vs Antigonos Paphos Echetimos Timarchos Nikokles Yes No Ptolemy Ptolemy Salamis Pnytagoras Nikokreon Yes Yes Ptolemy Ptolemy Soloi Pasikrates Eunostos Yes Yes Ptolemy Ptolemy Kourion Aristokrates Pasikrates Pasikrates Yes Yes Perdikkas Ptolemy Kerynea ? ? ? No No Perdikkas Antigonos Amathos Androkles Yes Yes Ptolemy Ptolemy Kition Pumiathon Pumiathon Yes No Perdikkas Antigonos Lapethos Praxippos Praxippos Yes No Perdikkas Antigonos Marion Stasiokos II Stasiokos II Yes No Perdikkas Antigonos Much is unknown about Cyprus history during this time, so there are probably a few mistakes, but the above is my understanding from the literature. There were nine kingdoms in Cyrpus at the time Alexander besieged Tyre. Several of these supported Alexander in the quest, though all submitted to him afterwards. When he died, the cities were divided between Ptolemy and the remainder of the kingdom under Perdikkas, and after Perdikkas was killed they re-aligned between Ptolemy and Antigonos. Eventually Ptolemy occupied the entire island and the individual kingdoms ceased to be. Eight of these kingdoms minted coins, the exception being Kerynea, from which we don't even know their kings' names. A few more kingdoms existed before this time but were gobbled up by the others. This collection has been extremely difficult to amass and I doubt there are many who have achieved it. Many are quite rare and there are a few Cyprus collectors with very deep pockets who have made acquiring these pieces challenging. However, I can't really complain because I managed it! So, below, I reunite the kings of Cyprus from this time! Paphos Echetimos of Paphos early 4th century BCE Æ 3.79g, 15mm, 5h Head of Aphrodite to left wearing stephane / Dove standing to right; Cypriot letter ‘e’ above; all within concave circle BMC 48 (uncertain king); Tziambazis 89 (Timocharis); Destrooper-Georgiades, A. “Le monnayage de Paphos au IVe siècle, nouvelles perspectives” in XIII Congreso. (Madrid, 2005), p. 246, fig. 14; Destrooper-Georgiades, A. ‘Paphos sur les monnaies depuis le IVème siècle av. J.-C.’ Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization 17 (2013), pl. 2, 18 Zypern Cyprus Paphos Bronze 360-312 BCE probably Timarchos 16.00 mm 3.92 g vgl. BMC 48 Gekr. Kopf d. Aphrodite n.l. Rs: Taube n. Ex Sebastian Sänn Nikokles of Cyprus AR silver tetradrachm Struck at Paphos, Cyprus, 325-317 BCE Head of Herakles right, wearing lion’s skin headdress; on lion’s mane, faint letters NIKOKΛEOYΣ at the highest points (and as such worn nearly illegible). Reverse – BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left; holding eagle in right hand and sceptre in left; ΠΑΦ monogram for Paphos in left field, and below the throne, a laurel spring. Price 3123. May, Paphos 7, pl. 1, 9. Tziambazis 11. Very rare. 26mm, 17.0g Salamis Pnytagoras(?) .20g Turreted female head right. Monogram Ref CNG 143, 84 Kings of Macedon, Philip III Arrhidaios (323-317 BC) AE Half Unit 16mm, 3.25g, 2h Salamis, under Nikokreon Macedonian shield, facing gorgoneion on boss. R/ Helmet; kerykeion to lower l. Price 3158 Soloi (Evnostos at the top) CYPRUS, Soloi. Pasikrates (Stasikrates) Circa 330s-310s BCE Æ Unit 18.5mm, 7.00 g, 9h In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin Bow-in-bowcase and club; prow upward below. Zapiti & Michaelidou 26; Troxell, Alexanders 29; Price 3099 Kourion Cyprus, Kourion 4th century BCE Æ 13mm 2.52g 9h Head of Apollo to right / Stag kneeling to right, head reverted; A above. Cox, Curium 3; Destrooper pl. 10, 12 Cyprus, Kourion, Pasikrates circa 325 BCE Æ 17mm 5.12g, 2h. In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Bow-in-bowcase and club; laurel branch below, ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ between. Price 3113; Cox Curium, 8; ANS 1944.100.26537 Amathos Alexander III ‘the Great’ Æ 16mm Amathus, circa 325-323 BCE. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Club and bow in bowcase, ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ between; eagle flying to left below. Price 3090a. 4.66g, 16mm, 3h. Kition Cyprus. Citium. Pumiathon Æ Chalkous / Lion 16.37mm 2.70g 362-312 BCE Obverse: Lion walking left, ram head above Reverse: Horse standing left, star above, symbol before BMC 69 Lapethos Praxippos of Lapethos circa 330-312 BCE Æ 15mm, 2,38g Head of Apollo left; [ΠΡ behind] / Krater; [BA] to right Tziambazis 49; BMC pl. XX, 2; Sear 5749; Traité II 1364, pl. CXXXVI Marion Cyprus, Marium, Stasioikos II AE 16 4.32g. c. 330-312 BCE Ex Harlan J Berk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted April 30 · Supporter Share Posted April 30 Congratulations on a major collection score! Funny, I was also looking into coins from Cyprus just recently - although the period I'm interested in is much later, early Roman times. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted April 30 · Supporter Share Posted April 30 That’s incredible! Cyprus is so hard to collect well and with good information. I need a “deep jealousy” emoji. Here's a Kition that fits the table- CYPRUS, Kition. Pumiathon. Circa 362/1-312 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.38 g, 12h). In the name and types of Alexander III. Struck circa 325-320 BC.Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; monogram in left And here’s a Kition from only 100 years earlier, showing just how strange the place was at least in presentation. Aramaic and a king with a very nonGreek name. Baalmelek II. Circa 425/0-400 BC. AR Stater 22.5mm, 11.14g. Herakles, wearing lion skin, in fighting stance right, holding [club and bow] / Lion attacking stag crouching right; L B’LML[K] (in Aramaic) above; all in dotted square within incuse square. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerosmyfavorite68 Posted April 30 · Member Share Posted April 30 I enjoyed the writeup. Congrats on the rare type! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.