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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Anatolia| ▸ |Lydia| ▸ |Sardes||View Options:   | | | Sardis was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, one of the important cities of the Persian Empire, the seat of a proconsul under the Roman Empire, and the metropolis of the province Lydia in later Roman and Byzantine times. Its importance was due first to its military strength, secondly to its situation on an important highway leading from the interior to the Aegean coast, and thirdly to its commanding the wide and fertile plain of the Hermus. As one of the Seven churches of Asia, it was addressed by John, the author of the Book of Revelation in the Holy Bible, in terms which seem to imply that its population was notoriously soft and fainthearted. Remains including the bath-gymnasium complex, synagogue, and Byzantine shops are open to visitors year-round. |
This coin is published in Greek Coins from the Collection of Jonathan P. Rosen, ANS ACNAC 5, New York, 1983, by Nancy Waggoner, plate 25, no. 675.GA111447. Silver siglos, Rosen Collection pl. 25, 675 (this coin); Carradice Type IV (late) C, 46 ff.; BMC Arabia 172 ff.; SNG Kayhan 1031; Klein 763; SGCV II 4683, VF, off center, mild porosity, encrustation on edge and part of reverse, weight 5.520 g, maximum diameter 16.0 mm, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, c. 375 - 340 B.C.; obverse Kneeling-running figure of the Great King right, bearded, crowned, dagger in right hand, bow in left hand; reverse irregular oblong punch; from the CEB Collection; ex Numismatic Fine Arts winter sale (New York, 12/87), lot 372; ex Rosen Collection;
Lydian Kingdom, Kroisos, c. 561 - 546 B.C.
King Kroisos minted the first silver and gold coins. He was famous for his extraordinary wealth, but with his defeat by Kyros in 546 B.C. Lydia became a Persian satrapy.GA111578. Silver 1/24 stater, SNG Kayhan 1022; Klein 562, SNGvA -, SNG Cop -, BMC Caria -, Traité -, Boston MFA -, F, toned, porous, rough, weight 0.317 g, maximum diameter 6.3 mm, die axis 0o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, c. 550 - 546 B.C.; obverse on the left, forepart of a lion right, confronting, on the right, the forepart of a bull left; reverse incuse square punch; ex Numismatik Naumann auction 124 (8 Jan 2023), lot 956 (part of); rare;
Macedonian Kingdom, Philip III Arrhidaeus and Alexander IV, 323 - 317 B.C.
This coin was struck shortly after the death of Alexander the Great in the name of his infant son, Alexander IV. Alexander IV and Philip III, Alexander's brother, were made joint kings after Alexander's death. Sardes struck coins in the names of both kings. Alexander IV was an infant and Philip was mentally disabled, neither king was capable of actual rule and both were selected only to serve as pawns. The regents held power. Philip III was actually imprisoned. In 317, Olympias had Philip murdered to ensure sole rule by her grandson Alexander IV. But Alexander IV would never rule. In 311 B.C., he and his mother Roxana were executed by the regent Kassander.GS112776. Silver drachm, Price 2601; ADM I Sardes XIII, 191; Müller Alexander -, F, toned, marks, scratches, die wear, tiny edge chips, weight 3.937 g, maximum diameter 16.3 mm, die axis 0o, Lydia, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, struck under Menander, c. 323 - 322 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on throne without back, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, right foot forward (Alexander the Great lifetime style), eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, AΛΕΞANΔPOY downward on right, monogram left, torch in exergue;
Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochus II Theos, 261 - 246 B.C.
Before Alexander's conquest, Ecbatana was a summer residence for the Persian kings. Later it was a capital of the Parthian Empire.GB110472. Bronze AE 19, Houghton-Lorber I 522(2); Newell WSM 1391; BMC Seleucid p. 15, 15; HGC 9 253, gVF, green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, attractive style, scratches, weight 3.733 g, maximum diameter 19.3 mm, die axis 0o, Lydia, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, 261 - 246 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, with curly hair failing down neck; reverse tripod lebes, BAΣIΛEΩΣ downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on left, anchor flukes right below, Σ low outer left, ΔI low outer right;
Sardes, Lydia, 2nd - 1st Century B.C.
Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia, an important city of the Persian Empire, a Roman proconsul seat, and in later Roman and Byzantine times the metropolis of the province Lydia. In the Book of Revelation, Sardis, one of the Seven Churches of Asia, is admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works haven't been perfect before God. (Revelation 3:1-6).GB111922. Bronze AE 16, GRPC Lydia 4 pl. 273, 9; BMC Lydia, p. 238, 19; SNG Cop -; SNGvA -, VF, broad flan, porosity, scratch, both sides beveled, weight 3.779 g, maximum diameter 15.6 mm, die axis 90o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, 2nd - 1st century B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, long hair; reverse club, ΣAPΔI/ANΩN divided in two flanking lines, all within oak wreath, wreath closed with ΔM monogram above, all in a shallow round incuse; from the Michael Arslan Collection;
Sardes, Lydia, c 98 - 117 A.D.
CTP in the reverse legend identifies the magistrate, Lo. Io. Libonianos, as a strategos. Strategos, plural strategoi, is Greek meaning "general." In the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor. In the modern Greek army, it is the highest officer rank.RP99970. Bronze AE 17, RPC Online III 2393 (18 spec.); SNG Cop 508; SNG Leypold 1201; SNG Tatis 757; Imhoof-Blumer LS p. 139, 13; BMC Lydia p. 246, 75; Winterthur 3917, VF, near centered, dark green patina, light scratches, light earthen deposits, weight 2.786 g, maximum diameter 16.9 mm, die axis 0o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, time of Trajan, c. 98 - 117 A.D; obverse CAPΔIA-NΩN, draped youthful bust of Dionysus right, wearing ivy wreath; reverse CTP ΛO IO ΛI-BΩNIANOY, filleted thyrsus, bee to right;
Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Darius II - Artaxerxes II, c. 420 - 375 B.C.
| This type was minted in Lydia, Anatolia, while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. |  |
Sardis, Lydia, c. 133 - 40 B.C.
Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia, an important city of the Persian Empire, a Roman proconsul seat, and in later Roman and Byzantine times the metropolis of the province Lydia. In the Book of Revelation, Sardis, one of the Seven Churches of Asia, is admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works haven't been perfect before God. (Revelation 3:1-6).GB110087. Bronze AE 17, GRPC Lydia 4 pl. 275, 63 (this coin); SNG Cop -, BMC Lydia -, F, nice green patina, off center on a broad flan, reverse die wear, weight 3.202 g, maximum diameter 16.5 mm, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, c. 133 - 40 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, hair rolled; reverse ΣAPΔI-ANΩN divided in two lines by club, all within oak-wreath closed at the bottom with AMY monogram;
Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 B.C.
Lifetime issue!SH33207. Gold stater, Price 2533, Müller Alexander 293, VF, weight 8.496 g, maximum diameter 18.2 mm, die axis 0o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, c. 334 - 323 B.C.; obverse head of Athena right wearing earring, necklace, and crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled snake, hair in ringlets; reverse Nike standing left, wreath in right hand, stylus in left, griffin head left, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward behind; SOLD
Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 B.C.
Alexander the Great lifetime issue, struck by his Satrap in Lydia, Menander. Menander, the commander of a force of mercenaries in Alexander's army, was appointed by Alexander as the satrap in Lydia in 331. In 323 B.C., he was commissioned to conduct a reinforcement of troops to Alexander at Babylon, where he arrived there just before Alexander's death. In the division of the provinces after the death of Alexander, Menander received his former government of Lydia. He appears soon to have attached himself to the party of Antigonus. In the new distribution of the provinces at Triparadisus in 321 B.C., he lost the government of Lydia, which was given to Cleitus; but this was probably a promotion by Antigonus, as he commanded part of Antigonus' army in the first campaign against Eumenes in 320 B.C. The following year, Menander learned of the escape of Eumenes from Nora, and advanced with an army into Cappadocia to attack him, forcing him to take refuge in Cilicia. After this, no further mention of Menander is found in history.SH68249. Gold stater, Price 2533, Müller Alexander 293, gVF, weight 8.547 g, maximum diameter 17.5 mm, die axis 0o, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, struck by Menander, c. 330 - 323 B.C.; obverse head of Athena right wearing earring, necklace, and crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a coiled snake, hair in ringlets; reverse AΛΕΞANΔPOY, Nike standing left, wreath in right hand, stylus in left, griffin head left; ex Gorny & Mosch auction 216, lot 2269; SOLD
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