Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (9.2014)

A NOTĘ ON A SATRAPAL COIN...

anepigraphic, although it bears a linear device resembling the "Mazaces symbol"
on the obverse, which is known from coins struck by this satrap of Egypt.'^
Both the obverse and reverse images are present in coinage from Achaemenid
times. It is diffcult, however, to hnd a direct analogy for the obverse motif. There
are weh-known depictions of a seated Iranian clad personage on an anonymous is-
sue (attributed to Tiribazus) and Tarkumuwa coins struck in Tarsus (PI. 1, Fig. 2),
as well as on Samarian issues (PI. 2, Fig. 2 and 3)A However, despite the icono-
graphic similarities, there are some important differences, such as the detail of the
clothing and the attributes. In short, a direct prototype of the obverse of the obol
under discussion has not been discovered.
The reverse of an Iranian horseman brandishing a javelin is also common in
coin imagery from Achaemenid times. It beiongs to a group of interregional coin
types that appear on issues struck across different regions of the Achaemenid State
dating to different periodsA Besides the aforementioned Tissaphernes (c. 413-395
BC) chalkoi, this variant of an Iranian horseman is also known from Carian (PI. I,
Fig. 4)'^ and Samarian (PI. 2, Fig. 1,2 and 3)'^ issues, as well as Hierapolis/Menbig
issues from the times of Alexander the GreatA
On publishing the coin, the cataloguer stated that a Macedonian horseman was
depicted on the reverseA However, as indicated above, the image undoubtedly
presents an Iranian rider. The cataloguer also attributed the coin to Babylonia in
the times of Mazaeus (the years after 331 BC). but this attribution requires fnrther
discussion.

However, one cannot rutę out the possibihty that a legend was placed on the part of the coin which is
out of han. On the obverse, possible traces of a legend are visible to the right of the seated personage. On the
"Mazaces symbol" see P. VAN ALFEN, "Owls from the 1973 Iraq Hoard," Hwencow Toorwo/ o/"AMw;'ywo?;'cy
12, 2000, p. 31f; IDEM, "The "Owls" from the 1989 Syria Hoard with a Review of Pre-Macedonian Coinage in
Egypt," HweWcaw JoMrwo/ o/AMwAwatzcy 14, 2002, p. 31.
On the Tiribazus issue see SNG LEVANTE 66, O. CASABONNE, To C;7;'g;'g o /'ó?o^Mg ocTgwgw/Jg,
Paris 2004, p. 190, Group C, PI. 4, 5; for the Tarkumuwa issue cf. R.A. MOYSEY, "The Silver Stater Issue of
Phamabazos and Datames from the Mint of Tarsus in Cilicia," Hwer/cow Aow/swot/c Soclety AT/yg^w Ao/gy 31,
1986, PI. 5, pp. 51-59; SNG LEVANTE nos. 85-88; SNG FRANCE 2, nos. 282-289; CASABONNE, To C7//c/g
ó / gpo<?Mg oc/!gwg^;2fg, 174f, series 2 (with interesting remarks on uniform details) and PI. 3, 23. On Samarian
issuesseeY. MESHORER, S. QEDAR, .SawanaMCoórogg, Yerusalem 1999, no. 4, PI. !,4;no. 5, Pi. 1,5; no. 45,
PI. 7, 45; no. 98, PI. 14, 98 and no. 123, PI. 18, 123.
On the meaning of the "'interregional type" see BODZEK, T4 Z47734T77T24 AOATTTAMTT..., p. 183; on
the "Iranian horseman type" see ;T/<7gw, p. 241ff.
Cf. notę 10.
's MESHORER, QEDAR, Iwanow Co/wagg, nos. 40, 123, 125, 197.
H. SEYR1G, "Monnaies hellenistique XVIII. Selecus 111 et Simyra XIX. Le monnayage de Hierapolis de
Syrie a l'epoque hellenistique. XX, Contremarques des tetradrachmes imperiaux de Tarse. XXI. Un tetradrachme
enigmatique. XXII. Un pseudo-Lysimaque de Crimee," T^guMg Az/w;'ywo//yMg (6eme series) 13, 1971, p. 20, no. 9;
M.J. OLBRYCHT, H/gAsowr/gr W7'g//:;' z yw/'o/ Rzeszów 2004, p. 304f, PI. 5, 8, A.
Cf. notę 3.