LYCIA. Arycanda. Gordian III, 238-244. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 29 mm, 17.48 g, 1 h), 242-244. ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ ϹЄ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III to right, seen from behind. Rev. ΑΡΥΚΑΝΔЄⲰΝ Hero (Kakasbos?) standing right, wearing Phrygian cap and holding club upright in his left hand; to left, horse standing right, hitting vessel or rock out of which flows water with its right foreleg. RPC VII.2 2290.5 and pl. 139, 2290 (this coin). Von Aulock, Lykien -. Extremely rare, the finest of five known examples. An unusually attractive Lycian provincial issue with a very interesting reverse. Slightly rough, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


It is still unclear what triggered the sudden outburst of coinage in a great number of Lycian cities under Gordian III, many of which had never issued Roman Provincial coins before and would not do so again. What makes the present coin particularly interesting, beyond its broader historical background, is the reverse, which shows a male figure wearing a Phrygian cap and holding an upright club in his left hand. This figure, presumably a local hero, is accompanied by a horse that is hitting a vessel or a rock out of which flows water with its right foreleg. Unfortunately, the meaning of this unusual image eludes us today and we can only assume that it referred to a well-known local myth that needed no further explanation at the time.