PHRYGIA. Hierapolis. 2nd-1st century BC. AE (Bronze, 18 mm, 4.74 g, 1 h). Jugate busts to right of Hades (?) laureate and draped, and Persephone (?) draped. Rev. IEPO-ΠOΛΙΤΩΝ Three-headed Kerberos seated right; to right, ΣΙ. BMC -. HGC 7, -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG von Aulock -. Extremely rare. A beautiful piece of very attractive style. The reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, good very fine.


The obverse portraits coincided with the later conflation of Hades and Persephone with the Egyptian underworld deities Serapis-Osiris and Isis, who are also often shown with Kerberos, the hound of the Underworld. These types are all related to a cave near to Hierapolis that was believed to be a gateway to the land of the dead due to the poisonous gasses inside.