| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Herakles Auction 2 | Auction date: 3 March 2025 |
| Lot number: 31 Price realized: 5,500 EUR (Approx. 5,720 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Greek Caria. Achaemenid Period. Uncertain mint circa 335-334 BC. Tetradrachm AR 23 mm, 15,25 g Persian king or hero in kneeling/running stance to right, drawing bow / Warrior, wearing kyrbasia, on horseback to right, thrusting with spear in his right hand. Good Very Fine Konuk, Influences, Group 2. The archer-horseman tetradrachms from the Achaemenid period in Caria represent one of the most mysterious and intriguing Persian coinages minted in Asia Minor before Alexander the Great's conquest. Struck around 350–334 BC, these silver tetradrachms are notable for their distinctive design, yet they lack inscriptions that could directly reveal their issuer, mint, or specific purpose. This absence of explicit information has led to considerable scholarly debate regarding their origin and function. The obverse typically features a Persian archer, often depicted in traditional attire, holding a bow-an image associated with Persian royal authority and military power. The reverse shows a horseman, symbolizing strength, mobility, and possibly the aristocratic or cavalry-based military elite, which were vital in Persian military organization. This combination of motifs likely reflects the dual identity of Persian rule and local Carian influence. Scholar Koray Konuk identified two distinct series of this coinage: one without subsidiary symbols on the reverse (the earlier type) and another with additional symbols (the later type). The differentiation between these series suggests a chronological or administrative evolution in their production. The discovery of these coins in the Pixodarus Hoard has been crucial for dating them. Since only the earlier type without symbols was present in the hoard, and the hoard was likely deposited around 341 BC, scholar Andrew Meadows proposed this date as a tentative division between the two series. This means the symbol-less coins likely circulated before 341 BC, while the series with added symbols probably followed afterward. Despite these insights, the exact purpose of the archer-horseman tetradrachms remains unclear. They could have been issued by a Carian satrap, possibly Pixodaros himself, or by another local authority under Persian oversight. Their iconography suggests they were intended to appeal to both Persian and local audiences, blending imperial imagery with regional symbols of power. Starting price: 3000 EUR |  |
