Lot 167
Cilicia, Nagidos, c. 375-365 BC. AR Stater (10.71 g). Aphrodite enthroned left, holding phiale over circular altar before her; behind her, Eros standing left, holding up branch. Reverse: Dionysos standing left, holding thyrsos and vine branch with grapes. Lederer 26; cf. BMC p. 111, 12 (same obverse die). Excellent metal. Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $2,500 - UP
Little is known about the Cilician city of Nagidos beyond that it was considered a Samian foundation, had an eponymous hero named Nagis, and was incorporated into the Achaemenid Persian Empire perhaps as early as 545 BC. In the Classical period the city and the rest of Cilicia was governed by Persian satraps. The coinage of Nagidos and other Cilician cities of the period is notable for the frequent use of full figure designs on both sides of the coin. Here Aphrodite is depicted on the obverse, which has been taken as an indication that the city had an important temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of love, but it is just as possible that this type refers to the cult of the Persian deity, Anahita, which was often brought to Asia Minor by Persian officials and who was frequently identified with Aphrodite by the Greeks. The reverse depicts Dionysos, the Greek god of wine, shown holding a bunch of grapes and his staff, the pinecone-tipped thyrsos. The dies used to strike this particular coin are the most commonly scene in the series; the obverse is notable for the thin die-break extending from the edge of the coin to Aphrodite's phiale.
Ex Sternberg Auktion XXXI, lot 110
Goldberg's Auction 59, lot 2159
The Peh Family Collection.
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| Realized $6,300 |
