PISIDIA. Apollonia-Mordiaeum. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 32 mm, 16.50 g, 6 h), time of Caracalla, circa 211-217. AΛЄΞANΔOC (sic!) KTICT AΠΟΛΛΩNIAT Head of Alexander the Great to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. AΠΟΛΛΩNIA/TΩN - ΛY/K - IΛIЄΩN / OMONOIA The city-goddess of Apollonia, on the left, standing right, holding a statue of Apollo holding lyre and clasping hands with the city-goddess of Ilion, on the right, standing left and holding a statue of Athena holding shield and spear; between them, a lighted altar. SNG Tübingen 4436 (same reverse die). Von Aulock, Pisidien II, 21-23 (same dies). Very rare, von Aulock knew just three examples. Minor flan crack and somewhat rough, otherwise, about very fine.


Apollonia-Mordiaion issued Homonoia-coins with three communities: Perge, Lycia and Ilion. While the Homonoia with the important city of Perge probably served practical purposes and the treaty with Lycia undoubtedly commemorates the settlement of Lycians in Hellenistic (?) times (as it is attested by the coins and epigraphical evidence), the Homonoia with the faraway city of Ilion most likely intends to boast the Greek heritage of Apollonia-Mordiaion. By issuing this coin, the rather remote city places itself in the realm of the oldest Greek traditions while also connecting, through the image of Alexander the Great as ktistes, to Hellenistic traditions and pleasing its Roman overlords (see above, lot 609). As such, it is a great example of a Greek polis using its coinage to boast civic pride and to communicate with its political overlords and cultural environment.