AEOLIS. Kyme. Circa 155-143 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 34 mm, 16.71 g, 12 h), Seuthes, magistrate. Diademed head of the Amazon Kyme to right. Rev. KYMAIΩN - ΣEYΘΗΣ Horse prancing right; below, one-handled cup; all within laurel wreath. Oakley obv. die 59. McClean 7901 (same obverse die). SNG Fitzwilliam 4310-1 (same obverse die). SNG von Aulock 1640. Winterthur 2829 (same obverse die). A spectacular, fresh and very attractive piece perfectly struck on a broad flan. Light marks, otherwise, good extremely fine.




The city of Kyme, situated on two hills along the western coast of Asia Minor, was the largest and most significant city of Aeolis. Its fluctuating fortunes - an influential yet never dominant polis, alternating between independence and subjugation under the Persian, various Hellenistic, and ultimately the Roman great powers - were typical of Greek settlements in Asia Minor.

In numismatics, Kyme is especially renowned for its magnificent Stephanophoroi - high Hellenistic tetradrachms featuring the Amazon Kyme, the city's legendary founder, on the obverse and a horse on the reverse. As is often the case with these coins, the artistic styles vary considerably. However, our specimen stands among the finest ever crafted by Kyme's engravers: the noble, serene portrayal of the Amazon contrasts sharply with her identity as a warrior equal to men, undoubtedly emphasizing her role as the city's founder - a symbol of civilization and the triumph of order over chaos.