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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Anatolia| ▸ |Lydia| ▸ |Tralleis||View Options:  |  |  |   

Ancient Coins of Tralleis, Lydia

On the slopes of Mount Messogis in the valley of the Meander, Tralles, was one of the largest and richest cities of Lydia. King Attalus had a splendid palace there. The local god was Zeus Larasios, but Apollo Pythius and other divinities were also worshiped. On the defeat of Antiochus, 190 B.C., Tralles, with the rest of Lydia, was assigned to the kingdom of the Attalids, under whose gentle sway it enjoyed peace and prosperity, and was one of the chief mints of the Cistophori. When Attalus III died without an heir in 133 B.C., he bequeathed the whole of Pergamon to Rome in order to prevent a civil war. Tralles was destroyed by an earthquake but was rebuilt by Augustus and took the name of Caesarea.

Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus II Theos, 261 - 246 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |II| |Theos,| |261| |-| |246| |B.C.||drachm|
Antiochus II Theos was the son of Antiochus I and Princess Stratonice, the daughter of Demetrius Poliorcetes. He inherited a state of war with Egypt and while he was thus occupied, his satraps in Parthia and Bactria declared independence. To make peace with Egypt and to seal the treaty, Antiochus repudiated his wife Laodice I, exiled her to Ephesus, and married Ptolemy II's daughter Berenice. Antiochus later left Berenice and their infant son Antiochus, to live again with Laodice. Laodice poisoned him, had Berenice and her infant son murdered, and proclaimed her son Seleucus II as king.
GS97275. Silver drachm, Houghton-Lorber I 535.2, Newell WSM 966, HGC 9 247a (R1), SNG Spaer -, gVF, fine style, superb portrait, tight flan, tiny edge crack, weight 4.317 g, maximum diameter 17.3 mm, die axis 0o, probably Tralles mint, 261 - 246 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Antiochos II right; reverse Apollo seated left on draped omphalos, nude, examining arrow in left hand, right hand on grounded bow, BAΣIΛΕΩΣ (king) downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on left, outer left, outer right; rare; SOLD


Gordian III, 29 July 238 - 25 February 244 A.D., Smyrna, Ionia in Alliance with Tralleis, Lydia

|Smyrna|, |Gordian| |III,| |29| |July| |238| |-| |25| |February| |244| |A.D.,| |Smyrna,| |Ionia| |in| |Alliance| |with| |Tralleis,| |Lydia||AE| |31|
In Greek mythology, the Amazons were a nation of all-female warriors Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia (modern territory of Ukraine). Other historiographers place them in Asia Minor or Libya.
RP80383. Bronze AE 31, SNGvA 2249 (same dies); countermark Howgego 774i, gF, weight 16.352 g, maximum diameter 30.9 mm, die axis 180o, Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey) mint, 29 Jul 238 - 25 Feb 244 A.D.; obverse AY KAI M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, countermarked Γ; reverse ΣMYPNAIΩN OMONOIA TPHΛANΩN, turreted and cuirassed Amazon Smyrna (to left) standing right, facing turreted city-goddess of Tralles standing left, ΕΠΠOΛΛI/ANOY exergue; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 128 - 85 B.C.

|Cistophori|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |128| |-| |85| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves. The cista in the mysteries of Isis may also have held a serpent, perhaps associated with the missing phallus of Osiris.
GS62553. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, BMC Lydia p. 330, 31; SNG Cop 661; SNGvA 8287, VF, weight 11.442 g, maximum diameter 27.7 mm, die axis 0o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, c. 128 - 85 B.C.; obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse TPAΛ, ornamented bow-case flanked by two snakes, TIMΕ (magistrate's name) above, TPAΛ left, cult statue of a veiled goddess standing facing on right; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 140 - 133 B.C.

|Cistophori|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |140| |-| |133| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves. The cista in the mysteries of Isis may also have held a serpent, perhaps associated with the missing phallus of Osiris.
GS81784. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, BMC Lydia -, SNG Cop -, SNGvA -, Weber -; et. al., nice VF, weight 12.766 g, maximum diameter 23.3 mm, die axis 0o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, c. 140 - 133 B.C.; obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse TPAΛ, two snakes, heads erect, around ornamented bow-case, poppy head and stalk of grain right, magistrate's name ΠAMM above; very rare; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 140 - 133 B.C.

|Cistophori|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |140| |-| |133| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
On the slopes of Mount Messogis in the valley of the Meander, Tralles, was one of the largest and richest cities of Lydia. King Attalus had a splendid palace there. The local god was Zeus Larasios, but Apollo Pythius and other divinities were also worshiped. Tralles was destroyed by an earthquake but was rebuilt by Augustus and took the name of Caesarea.

The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves.
GS81790. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, BMC Lydia p. 330, 34, VF, weight 12.505 g, maximum diameter 24.5 mm, die axis 30o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, c. 140 - 133 B.C.; obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse bow-case ornamented with an apluster, strung bow emerging upper left, flanked on each side by a snake with head erect, AΠOΛ above case below heads of snakes, TPAΛ left, hand holding caduceus right, straps from case draped over snakes below; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 140 - 133 B.C.

|Cistophori|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |140| |-| |133| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
On the slopes of Mount Messogis in the valley of the Meander, Tralles, was one of the largest and richest cities of Lydia. King Attalus had a splendid palace there. The local god was Zeus Larasios, but Apollo Pythius and other divinities were also worshiped. Tralles was destroyed by an earthquake but was rebuilt by Augustus and took the name of Caesarea.

The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves.
GS81782. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, BMC Lydia p. 331, 35, VF, weight 12.512 g, maximum diameter 29.9 mm, die axis 0o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, c. 140 - 133 B.C.; obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse two snakes, heads erect, around ornamented bow-case, ΔION above, TPAΛ left, herm(?) right; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 128 - 85 B.C.

|Cistophori|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |128| |-| |85| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves. The cista in the mysteries of Isis may also have held a serpent, perhaps associated with the missing phallus of Osiris.
GS33662. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, BMC Lydia p. 329, 29; Kleiner-Noe -, aVF, weight 12.349 g, maximum diameter 29.4 mm, die axis 0o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse TPAΛ, two snakes, heads erect, around ornamented bow-case, ΠPYT above, cornucopia right; SOLD


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus II Theos, 261 - 246 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |II| |Theos,| |261| |-| |246| |B.C.||AE| |18|
The Seleukid bronze coins of Tralles share the style, fabric and monograms with coins of Sardes. Attribution to Tralles is based on find-spots and countermarks.
GY29956. Bronze AE 18, Houghton-Lorber I 537a; Newell WSM 1393; SNG Cop 90; HGC 9253b; BMC Seleucid p. 15, 14 monogram (different monogram left), VF, nice green patina, weight 4.029 g, maximum diameter 17.7 mm, die axis 0o, Lydia, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, 261 - 246 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, hair falling in spiral curls; reverse tripod lebes with lion paw feet, anchor with flukes right below, BAΣIΛΕΩΣ downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on left, YΓP monogram outer left, Φ outer right; SOLD


Tralleis, Lydia, c. 140 - 133 B.C.

|Tralleis|, |Tralleis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |140| |-| |133| |B.C.||cistophoric| |tetradrachm|
On the slopes of Mount Messogis in the valley of the Meander, Tralles, was one of the largest and richest cities of Lydia. King Attalus had a splendid palace there. The local god was Zeus Larasios, but Apollo Pythius and other divinities were also worshiped. Tralles was destroyed by an earthquake but was rebuilt by Augustus and took the name of Caesarea.

The cista mystica was a basket used for housing sacred snakes in connection with the initiation ceremony into the cult of Bacchus (Dionysus). In the Dionysian mysteries a snake, representing the god and possibly symbolic of his phallus, was carried in a cista mystica on a bed of vine leaves.
GS17238. Silver cistophoric tetradrachm, Kleiner-Noe p 73, Series 40, 70-c. ff. and pl. XXVII, 1; SNG Cop 650, gVF, weight 12.505 g, maximum diameter 27.4 mm, die axis 0o, Tralles (Aydın, Turkey) mint, obverse snake emerging from a cista mystica with half-open lid, all within ivy wreath; reverse two snakes, heads erect, around ornamented bow-case, fulmen vertical above center, TPAΛ horizontal on right, eagle right on right, monogram below; SOLD


Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus II Theos, 261 - 246 B.C.

|Seleucid| |Kingdom|, |Seleukid| |Kingdom,| |Antiochus| |II| |Theos,| |261| |-| |246| |B.C.||AE| |17|
The mint is uncertain. Houghton-Lorber notes, issues from this unknown mint share symbols with and are otherwise identical to coins from Sardes, however, countermarks on some examples indicate a separate circulation around Tralles.
GY86888. Bronze AE 17, Houghton-Lorber I 538(b), Newell WSM 1415, VF, dark patina with highlighting earthen fill, porous, slightly rough, flan crack, weight 3.452 g, maximum diameter 17.1 mm, die axis 0o, Sardes or Tralles mint, 5th Sardes series; obverse laureate head of Apollo, hair in two spiral curls, one falling forward and one back; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY, tripod lebes, monogram (control) outer left, HAP monogram over ΦY monogram (controls) outer right, anchor right in exergue; SOLD




  




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REFERENCES|

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