Obverse: The God Baal Enthroned Facing Left
Holding an Eagle, an Ear of Grain, and a Bunch of
Grapes
Reverse: A Lion Attacking a Bull
Cilicia is an ancient region of southeastern Asia
Minor (modern Turkey), along the Mediterranean
north of Cyprus. It included a high and barren
plateau, Cilicia Trachia, an inhospitable region
that served as shelter for pirates, and a richly
fertile plain, Cilicia Pedias, that served as a
strategic passageway throughout history. The
area was under the domination of the Assyrian
Empire before it became part of the Persian
Empire. The Greeks settled on the coast early
on, and Cilicia was Hellenized to a great extent.
Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia and one of the
most important cities in Asia Minor. Tarsus
continued to flourish even after the region
became part of the Roman Empire, reaching the
height of its prosperity and cultural
achievements, including being the birthplace of
St. Paul. Mazaios was the satrap, or governor, of
Tarsus under the Persians. Famed historian
Plutarch described him as “the greatest Persian
after Darius.” This remarkable complement
indicates that Mazaios might have
simultaneously held the post of the Herzaraptis
(the commanding officer of the Spearbearer’s
Regimen) while serving as satrap.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empires. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This magnificent coin is
memorial to the ancient glory of Tarsus, passed
down from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.2245b)
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