| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32140 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Ancients LYDIAN KINGDOM. Ardys-Alyattes (ca. 620-560 BC). Kukas (Gyges). EL third-stater or trite (13mm, 4.74 gm). NGC Choice XF 4/5 - 4/5. Sardes. KYKALIM (Lydian, retrograde), legend between confronting heads of roaring female lions / Two incuse square punches of different size, side-by-side, with irregular interior surfaces. Wallace, KUKALIṂ, pl. I, 1-4. Weidauer Group XVIII (unlisted denomination). Traité -. SNG Kayhan -. Linzalone -. Extremely rare. Mellow patina with obsidian toning in the recesses. This extremely rare electrum hecte bears the inscription KUKALIM in Lydian script, but exactly what this legend means, or who it represents, is as yet a mystery. These are seemingly contemporary to the WALWET hectes and trite, which are more; transliterated to Greek, this is rendered as "of Alyattes," an early king of Lydia circa 610-560 BC. With a similar transliteration, KUKALIM can be rendered as "of Gyges," and a king of that name is known to have reigned in Lydia, by varying estimations, either circa 716-678 BC or 680-644 BC. In fact Gyges founded the Mermnad Dynasty, to which the later Alyattes and Croesus belonged. This Gyges is also believed to have inspired the Biblical King Gog mentioned in Ezekial and Revelation. Tempting as it is to assign the KUKALIM coins to him, scholars have demonstrated that they cannot have been struck that early, and in fact die links with the reverse punches show that they were struck contemporaneously with those of Alyattes. The most likely possibility is that the Gyges mentioned on the coin is a later member of the Mermnad Dynasty who was named after the founder, who either reigned jointly with Alyattes or as governor of a Lydian province. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/greek/ancients-lydian-kingdom-ardys-alyattes-ca-620-560-bc-kukas-gyges-el-third-stater-or-trite-13mm-474-gm-ng/a/3115-32140.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
