CYPRUS. Uncertain, 4th century BC. 1/3 Stater (Silver, 14 mm, 3.28 g, 10 h). Laureate head of Zeus to left; before, uncertain inscription. Rev. Facing head of Aphrodite, wearing pendant earrings and elaborate necklace; to left, uncertain inscription. BMC -. Tziambazis -. Zapiti & Michaelidou -. Apparently unpublished and of great interest. Harshly cleaned and with some doubling and a die break on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


The style, fabric and weight of this enigmatic piece suggest an origin in Cilicia or Cyprus. Its types are somewhat reminiscent of the coinage of Nagidos, where early-4th century staters bear heads of Dionysos in a similar style (SNG Levante 7, Weiser, Kyros, pl. XX, 40). In addition, Cilician obols, mostly from Tarsos and Nagidos, often show similar facing heads of Aphrodite. However, the inscription, although illegible, is clearly not Greek, and the god on the obverse is not Dionysos but Zeus. All of this points to a Cypriot origin, where types from nearby Cilicia were often adapted, and where the local Cypriot syllabary was commonly used on coins. Perhaps the closest parallel comes from the kingdom of Marion in the northwest corner of the island, opposite the mainland, where king Stasiokos II (circa 330-312 BC) issued tetrobols (BMC pl. XX, 14) with a head of Zeus of very similar style on the obverse and a right-facing head of Aphrodite on the reverse. Again, the latter is reminiscent of Nagidian prototypes, and the appearance of the goddess of love and beauty on coins from her sacred island of Cyprus is hardly a surprise. Unfortunately, due to die wear and cleaning, the inscription on our coin is unreadable, and we can only hope that a clearer example will emerge in the future, revealing the name of the king and therefore the mint.