Greek Silver & Bronze

Lot 3588       Greek Silver & Bronze

Estimate $600
Bid at live.noble.com.au

CILICIA, Satrap of Cilicia, Datames, (378-362 B.C.) silver stater, (9.740 grams), Tarsus mint, obv. female head three-quarter face to left, wearing sphendone and necklace, rev. male head to right (Ares?), bearded wearing crested Athenian helmet, before Aramaic legend 'Trdmw' = Datames, (S.5644, BMC 28 without countermark, SNG Levante 79, SNG Paris 259 [same obverse die]). Toned, struck from worn obverse die, very fine/nearly extremely fine and rare.

In 379 B.C. Pharnabazos, satrap in Bithynia was given the task of reconquering Egypt for the Persian Empire. Datames, satrap of Cappadocia was later appointed to assist him. To finance this undertaking large quantities of silver staters were struck at Tarsus. He was left in sole command of this campaign after Pharnabazos death in 374 B.C. A few years later he became involved in the revolt of the satraps against the Persian king. The obverse of this coin is derived from Kimon's Arethusa on the coinage of Syracuse.