CARIA. Antioch ad Maeandrum. Circa 168-145. Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 15.92 g, 12 h), Eunikos, magistrate. Laureate head of Zeus to right. Rev. ANTIOXEΩN / ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΩ - MAIANΔΡΟ - EYNIKOΣ Zebu bull standing left; to left, small winged Nemesis standing right, drawing fold of drapery with her right hand; all within laurel wreath. BMC -. CNG 108 (2018), 230 var. (same obverse die, but differing reverse legend arrangement). Leschhorn, Lexicon of Greek Coin Inscriptions -. Leu 2 (2018), 107 var. (same obverse die, but differing reverse legend arrangement). McClean -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Lockett -. SNG von Aulock -. Weber -. An unpublished variety of an extremely rare issue. A splendid, attractively toned piece of bold and impressive style. Light porosity on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.
The Stephanophoric reverse and the explicit name 'Antiochia on the Maeander' differentiates this type from all later issues of the city: it is very probably its earliest civic tetradrachm, struck in the years after the conferment of liberty to large parts of the Rhodian Peraia in Caria by the Roman Senate following the lack of Rhodian support to Rome in the Third Macedonian War in 171-168