CYPRUS. Marion. Stasioikos I, circa 400-380 BC. Stater (Silver, 25 mm, 10.95 g, 12 h). ('pa-si-le-wo-se sa-ta-si-o-i-ko' in Cypriot syllabic script) Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. ('pa-si-le-wo-se sa-ta-si-o-i-ko' in Cypriot syllabic script) Aphrodite (or Europa) hanging beside bull running right, grasping the bull's right horn with her right hand; all within incuse square. BMC 1 and pl. VI, 9. Tziambazis 51. Extremely rare and of great historical interest. Struck from worn dies and with traces of overstriking, otherwise, good fine.



This very rare and intriguing stater of Stasioikos I was overstruck on an earlier stater from Salamis, dating back to 480-460 BC. Stasioikos I was king of Marion, one of the smaller city-kingdoms of Cyprus, located in the island's northwest. Many of Marion’s very rare silver coins show signs of overstriking, but it is uncommon for these traces to be as clear as they are here, allowing for a precise identification of the undertype.