weight 9,34gr. ; silver Ø 22mm.

obv. Crab
rev. Crab with symbol below; all within incuse square with dotted border

This cointype appears in two varieties; with dynasts name spelled
out in full and with dynast symbol below the crab on the reverse.
This example is of the last variety. Extremely rare.

BMC- ; cf. SNG.Copenhagen suppl.397 ; SNG.von Aulock- ;
Babelon, Traité,- ; cf. Vismara II, 55 ; Müseler III, 17 ;
cf. Slg. Reuter 24 ; Slg. Dr. Maag 685 (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ;
Triton IV, lot 282 ; Slg. Dr. Sayar 39 (Künker, Auktion 402)
cf. Mørkholm-Neumann, Die Lykischen Münzlegenden, M13 RRR
vf-

weight 9,32gr. ; silver Ø 17mm.

obv. Forepart of wild boar left, ΘΣ on shoulder
rev. Crossed lines in incuse punch; Θ-Σ in adjacent quarters

Although this specimen cleary shows the letters ΘΣ (or ΘM), the dynast where this coin belongs to is not (yet) identified. Highly interesting coin, which needs more study. Extremely rare.

BMC 13var. ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock 4056 ;
Slg. Dr. Maag - (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ; cf. Vismara 34 ;
Babelon, Traité, pl.XXI, 13 ; cf. Asyut 749 ; Müseler - ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar - (Künker, Auktion 402) ;
cf. CNG. auction, 66, lot. 501 RRR
vf-/vf+

weight 9,01gr. ; silver Ø 19mm.

obv. Pegasos flying left, T on his left thigh
rev. Roaring lion′s head left, within incuse square

BMC 13var. ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Babelon, Traité,- ;
SNG.von Aulock- (cf. 4082 ; lion′s head facing) ;
cf. CNG. auction, 66, lot. 501 (″unpublished″)
Slg. Dr. Maag - (Peus Nachf. Auktion 407) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar 51-55 (Künker, Auktion 402) ;
Müseler III, 35-39 RR
Struck with worn dies. Highly interesting coin. Very rare.
f/vf

weight 8,62gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.

obv. Boar walking left, Λ below, on a baseline formed from dots
rev. Triskeles, K below, within incuse square with dotted border

Kuprilli (Lycian: KOΠPΛΛE) was a dynast of Lycia, at a time when this part of Anatolia was subject to the Persian, or Achaemenid, Empire. Kuprilli ruled at the time of the Athenian alliance, the Delian League. Present-day knowledge of Lycia in the period of classical antiquity comes mostly from archaeology, in which this region is unusually rich. Many of the Lycian dynastic issues bear the triskeles, a distinctive mark that was also present on the coinage of the later Lycian League. It is probably a solar emblem symbolizing rotatory motion. In this case it would refer to the worship of the national Lycian deity, Apollo, the God of Light.

Xanthos (Lycian: Arñna) was a city in ancient Lycia, the site of present-day Kınık, Antalya Province, Turkey, and of the river on which the city is situated. The ruins of Xanthus are on the south slopes of a hill, the ancient acropolis, located on the northern outskirts of the modern city, on the left bank of the Xanthus, which flows beneath the hill. There is evidence of a fire that destroyed the wooden tombs and temples of Xanthos in around 470 BC. This fire was probably caused by Cimon of Athens when he attacked the sacred citadel in retaliation for the destruction of the Athenian Acropolis by the Persians and their allies, including the Lycians, in 480 BC. The Xanthians, under their dynast, Kuprilli, rebuilt the buildings in stone, which are reflected in the numerous Tombs of Xanthos visible today. Xanthos was a center of culture and commerce for the Lycians, and later for the Persians, and most likely the residence and mint of dynast Kuprilli.

This coin type is missing in import Lycia collections
and reference literature. Coin of the highest rarity.

BMC- ; SNG.von Aulock.- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ;
SNG.Tübingen- ; Vismara- (cf. 69) ; Müseler - ;
Slg. Dr. Maag- (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ;
Babelon, Traité II - (cf. 817) ; Weber collection- ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar - (Künker, Auktion 402) RRRR
vf

weight 2,95gr. ; silver Ø 13mm.

obv. Winged goat flying left, triskeles before
rev. Triskeles, Lycian legend,  KO-ΠP-ΛΛE around 
within incuse square with dotted border

Kuprilli (Lycian: KOΠPΛΛE) was a dynast of Lycia, at a time when this part of Anatolia was subject to the Persian, or Achaemenid, Empire. Kuprilli ruled at the time of the Athenian alliance, the Delian League. Present-day knowledge of Lycia in the period of classical antiquity comes mostly from archaeology, in which this region is unusually rich. Many of the Lycian dynastic issues bear the triskeles, a distinctive mark that was also present on the coinage of the later Lycian League. It is probably a solar emblem symbolizing rotatory motion. In this case it would refer to the worship of the national Lycian deity, Apollo, the God of Light.

Xanthos (Lycian: Arñna) was a city in ancient Lycia, the site of present-day Kınık, Antalya Province, Turkey, and of the river on which the city is situated. The ruins of Xanthus are on the south slopes of a hill, the ancient acropolis, located on the northern outskirts of the modern city, on the left bank of the Xanthus, which flows beneath the hill. There is evidence of a fire that destroyed the wooden tombs and temples of Xanthos in around 470 BC. This fire was probably caused by Cimon of Athens when he attacked the sacred citadel in retaliation for the destruction of the Athenian Acropolis by the Persians and their allies, including the Lycians, in 480 BC. The Xanthians, under their dynast, Kuprilli, rebuilt the buildings in stone, which are reflected in the numerous Tombs of Xanthos visible today. Xanthos was a center of culture and commerce for the Lycians, and later for the Persians, and most likely the residence and mint of dynast Kuprilli.

Probably the third known specimen. Extremely rare.

BMC- ; SNG.von Aulock.- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Weber collection- ;
SNG.Tübingen- ; Vismara- ; Leu 54, no.152 (1992) ;
Mørkholm/Zahle, Kuprlli - ; Slg. Reuter 44 ;
Slg. Dr. Maag- (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ; Müseler IV, 20 ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar - (Künker, Auktion 402) ; Triton VIII, lot 497 ;
Nomos AG, 63 , 804306 (in xf- USD.3.250) RRR
vf+ à vf/xf

weight 1,91gr. ; silver Ø 14mm.
obv. Forepart of flying lion left
rev. Triskeles, Lycian legend,  K - O- Π around 
within incuse square with dotted border

Kuprilli (Lycian: KOΠPΛΛE) was a dynast of Lycia, at a time when this part of Anatolia was subject to the Persian, or Achaemenid, Empire. Kuprilli ruled at the time of the Athenian alliance, the Delian League. Present-day knowledge of Lycia in the period of classical antiquity comes mostly from archaeology, in which this region is unusually rich. Many of the Lycian dynastic issues bear the triskeles, a distinctive mark that was also present on the coinage of the later Lycian League. It is probably a solar emblem symbolizing rotatory motion. In this case it would refer to the worship of the national Lycian deity, Apollo, the God of Light.

Kandyba was one of the smaller cities of Lycia, but was an independent polis with voting rights in the Lycian League and minted its own coins. It has a very old settlement of Hettite origin, set on a hilltop high above the plain of Kasaba. Over the centuries has suffered badly from earthquakes, but the ruins are still visible north of the village of Çataloluk (13 kilometres north of Kaş)

This coin type is published as tetrobol (circa 2,70 gr.) and diobol (circa 1,35 gr.),
but seems to be unblished as triobol. Coin of the highest rarity.

BMC- ; SNG.von Aulock.- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Weber collection- ;
SNG.Tübingen- ; cf. Mørkholm/Zahle 181 (= tetrobol) ;
Slg. Dr. Maag- (Peus Nachf. Auktion 407 ; cf. 711 = tetrobol) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar- (Künker, Auktion 402 ; cf. 83 = diobol in vf+ € 1.900 + 25%) ;
Vismara- ; cf. Babelon, Traité II, 266 (= tetrobol) ; cf. Slg.Reuter 33 (= tetrobol) ;
cf. Ars Classica I, 1920, 2756, Slg.Pozzi (= tetrobol) RRRR
A bit wavy planchet, but fine detailed lion.
vf-

weight 1,43gr. ; silver Ø 11mm.

obv. Forepart of winged human-headed bull right
rev. Head of Aphrodite? right, OFOY (= ′uwug′ in Lycian language) to left, 
within dotted incuse square.

BMC 75 ; SNG.Copenhagen- (cf. 540 suppl. = tetrobol) ;
Slg. Dr. Maag - (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ; Müseler IV, Anhang 7 ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar 112 (Künker, Auktion 402 ; in vf- € 950+25%) ;
Babelon, Traité II, 314 ; SNG.von Aulock- (cf.4118 = tetrobol) ;
Konuk, Orou 2.2 RRR
Attractive toning. Extremely rare denomination.
vf-/vf

weight 1,33gr. ; silver Ø 11mm.

obv. Helmeted head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet
rev. Triskeles, around the Lycian legend;  F - ↑  -  ↑( = WEKH ), 
all within dotted square within incuse square

The ruins of Patara are located within the boundaries of the village of Gelemis, a region of Kas, in Antalya province. The city, which was the sea gate of West Lycia to the world, was built on two sides of a inlet that ran inland for 2 km. The Lycians, who founded Patara and were called Tremilae or Termilae, were resident in today′s Dirmil (Burdur); they were not from Crete as Herodotus wrote. They called their country Trmis in their own native language, they called themselves Trmili in the Lycian sense, and they spoke a native language related to Luwian that is one of the earliest known languages of Anatolia. With the archaeological findings uncovered in Patara, the history of the city goes back to the Early Bronze Age. The earliest written document in which the city is mentioned is dated to the 13th century BC in Yalburt, the Luvice temple′s hieroglyphic inscription. The great Hittite King IV Tuthaliya related about his campaigns in the Lukka region and it′s said that he had made offerings and gifts, had erected steles and constructed sacred places in front of Patar Mountain.

The architectural and ceramic finds unearthed in Tepecik date back to the 10th-7th century BC, Patara without interruption passed from the Hittite Lukka to Homeric Lycian. Around 540 BC the city was connected with the Persian commander Harpagos and the Persians, who came from Caria. In 516/15 BC the city was connected to the ′First Satrap′ in Sardis; after the 469/68 Eurymedon Naval War, he joined the Attica-Delos Naval Union. The development of the area is confirmed by the fact that coins were minted in Patara by Dynast Wekhssere I in 450-430/25 and Wekhssere II in 430/20-410/ 400 BC.

The Lycians, an autochthonous ethnos, inhabited a mountainous land with little access from its rugged coastline; geography fostered independence and discouraged attempts by outsiders to impose control. The dynasts first come into view circa 540 BC. They and their people were subject to the rule of the Persian king and his satraps between 546-470 BC and from circa 400-360 BC. Te Lycians joined the Satraps′ Revolt (which had collapsed by 362 BC) and were defeated by their neighbour Mausollos of Caria, who then added Lycia to the lands of his satrapy and brought an end to the rule of local dynasts.

The early Lycian interest in portraiture in sculpture and on coins can be attributed to a taste for employing the forms and themes of Greek art to express the political status and ambitions of local rulers whose culture and outlook had little in common with the Greeks. They also borrowed from the iconography and practices of their more powerful overlords, the Persians. But portraiture was a feature of Greek art. Greek artists had established ′defining features′ for the representation of deities and heroesduring the archaic period and in the fifth century BC were experimenting with the depiction of men.

The frequent occurrence of Athena on Lycian coins certainly has to do with the expansion of the Athenian naval league. As a result of Athenian imperialism, Athenian tetradrachms bearing the image of Athena became widespread and were among the most commonly-used means of payment in the East. However, Athenian expansion was certainly not the cause behind the popularity of Athena images on Lycian coins. This is evidenced by the fact that Lycia returned to align itself more closely with the Persians under Kheriga, but nevertheless continued or even increased to mint coins with depictions of Athena (cf. Keen 1998, 202). We should take greater account of the fact that Lycia′s ′Athena′ is associated with the Asia Minor warrior goddess Malija (cf. Barnett 1974). In this respect, we are dealing rather with depictions of Malija in Greek iconography than with the Greek goddess Athena.

cf. Numismatica Genevensis, auction 6, lot 103 (in vf/xf ; CHF 4.000 + 15%)

Fabulous masterpiece of the finest early Classical style. Very rare.

BMC- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock- ; Vismara 46 ;
Babelon, Traité  433 ; Slg. Dr. Maag - (Peus Nacchf., Auktion 407) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar 126 (Künker, Auktion 402) ;  Müseler V, 16 ;
Müseler in Gephyra 17 (2019), - RR

xf

weight 9,95gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.

obv. Pegasos flying right, symbol below, on round shield
rev. Triskeles with large annulet at the center, symbol above

After the death of Kuprlli sometime around 440 BC coins continued to be struck not only by the Xanthian rulers and their immediate neighbours but also by a number of lesser known dynasts at several mint places in Eastern and Central Lycia in direct succession to the issues in the name of Kuprlli, thus indicating the persistent presence of independent political units beyond the Xanthos valley. Key-figures for the history of these regions during the time in question are the dynasts Teththiweibi, Kheriga and Khinakha.

Far to the east the town of Limyra near the mouth of the Arykandos, which had apparently been one of the first mint places for Kuprlli, maintained a considerable coin production also after the end of his is rule. Over the years two distinct groups of issues in the name of Kuprlli had evolved at Limyra, one showing a walking or kneeling goat with different symbols in the field and the other showing a flying Pegasus, both types occasionally placed on raised rectangular squares or more often on round shields. The coins of the Pegasus-group seem to be the latest issue of Kuprlli at Limyra, since this motif was directly adopted by the coinage of a successor called Khinakha. The flying Pegasus is the only type of Khinakhas Limyrean coinage but there are numerous variants and the whole group is apparently much larger than the total of the respective issues in the name of Kuprlli.

The full name of the dynast Khinakha is harldy preserved on his coin issues, only on his lighter coins from central Lycia. The Limyrean coinage usually show a linear symbol, which obviously serves as a personal emblem. On this coin we see it on the reverse, above the triskeles.

Vismara II,73var. ; Babelon, Traité- ; Slg.Reuter 51 ;
Slg. Dr. Maag 728 (Peus Nachf. Auktion 407 ; in vf  € 1.600 + 15%) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar 102 (Künker, Auktion 402 ; in vf  € 1.500 + 25%) ;
SNG.von Aulock 4090 ; Müseler IV, 81-84 ; Slg. Reuter 52 ;
Müseler in Gephyra 15 (2018), I/8, Fig. 6. ; Sear- R
vf+

weight 8,32gr. ; silver Ø 21mm.

obv. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet,
ornamented with olive-leaves and floral scroll
rev. Head of bearded Herakles right, clad in lion′s skin,
club in front, surrounded by the Lycian legend ″Arbbena″

Erbbina (also Arbinas, Erbinas), was a Lycian Dynast who ruled circa 430/20-400 BC. He was the son of the previous Lycian king Kheriga. On his inscriptions, Erbbna is described as a tyrannos, and "the man who rules over the Lycians". It seems the Lycia kingdom started to disintegrate during the rule of Erbbina, as numerous smaller rulers started to mint coinage throughout Lycia during his reign and after.

Coinage seems to indicate that he ruled in the western part of Lycia, around Telmessos, while his tomb was established in Xanthos.  He was a subject of the Achaemenid Empire. He is most famous for his monumental tomb, the Nereid Monument, now on display in the British Museum. It was the main inspiration for the famous Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Using the design of a Greek Temple for the building of a tomb was unheard of in mainland Greece.

cf. Peus Nachf. Auktion 407, Lot 758 (in vf/xf  € 3.200 + 15%)

BMC 127var. ; SNG.Copenhagen suppl.462var. ; SNG.von Aulock 4198var.; 
S. Hurter in Essays in Honor of Margaret Thompson. Tissaphernes Hoard,
p. 104, No. 24 ; Müseler VI, 88 ; Babelon, Traité pl.C, 9var. ; cf. Sear 5352 ;
Mørkholm & Zahle, Kherei 70 ; Slg. Dr. Sayar 173 (Künker, Auktion 402) ;
Vismara II, 184 ; Slg. Dr. Maag 758 (Peus Nachf. Auktion 407) RR
Wonderful coin of a high artistic level. Very rare.
vf+/xf-

weight 0,65gr. ; silver Ø 11mm.

obv. Facing lion′s scalp
rev. Triskeles, AR - UW - AT (in Lycian) around, within shallow round incuse

It is believed that the city of Zagaba may be the same as the Greek named city of Apollonia. In the third century BC it formed a union with the cities of Aperlai, Simena and Isinda. On the hilltop of the settlement hill a castle was already built at the time of the first settlement. It only seems to have regained its importance in the Roman Empire. This is also supported by the fact that during this time Apollonia was the site of large imperial buildings such as the theatre, the three-room spa and a monumental heroon.

BMC- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock- (cf. 4205) ; 
Vismara- (cf. 192) ; cf. Babelon, Traité II/2, 437 (Pl.CII, 9)
Slg.Reuter- ; Slg. Dr. Maag - (Peus Nachf., Auktion 407) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar - (Künker, Auktion 402) ; cf. Müseler VII, 63-64 RRR
extremely rare
vf/vf+

weight 9,43gr. ; silver Ø 23mm.

obv. Bearded head of Perikle three-quarter face to left
rev. Naked warrior right with helmet, holding sword and shield,
triskeles right below, Lycian legend ″PERIKLE″ on left, 
all within incuse square

Perikles was dynast of Lycia in the early 4th century BC, at a time when this part of Anatolia was subject to the Persian, or Achaemenid, Empire. Perikles was probably born around 435 BC. Born. His family probably had good relations with Athens. Perikles ruled Limyra and attempted to conquer Limyra between 380 and 362 BC. to bring all of Lycia under his control. Until the satrap revolt from 362 BC he was apparently loyal to the Achaemenids. A monumental tomb, the so-called Heroon of Perikles, was built for him in Limyra. The wonderful portrait on this impressive work of art is, as Leo Mildenberg writes, ″under the strong influence of Kimon′s masterpiece, the Syracusan Arethusa en face″.

Present-day knowledge of Lycia in the period of classical antiquity comes mostly from archaeology, in which this region is unusually rich. Believed to have been based at Phellos, with it′s harbour Antiphellos. The city of Antiphellos, located near present-day Turkish Kas, arose as a port for the ancient Lycian town of Phellos located in the mountains. This port city would soon surpass its mother city and experienced periods of great prosperity. In addition, there was an ongoing battle with the port of the island of Megiste, opposite Antiphellos (the still Greek island of Kastellorizon). This island was used by the inhabitants of Rhodes as a port for ships in transit to Syria and Cyprus, which was of course at the expense of the nearby port of Antiphellos.

The portraits on coins in the later Lycian series are among the finest of the Classical period. Among the earliest to attempt depictions of their rulers on coinage, the Lycians′ first portraits in the later 5th century BC were innovative, but static, idealized forms lacking individual characterization. Over the next half-century, however, the style progressed significantly toward realism, culminating in the issues of the dynasts Mithrapata and Perikles in the early-mid 4th century BC. The coins of Mithrapata came first, depicting on their reverse the profile portrait of a man with distinctive elderly features. Through the relative chronology established in L. Mildenberg′s die study, one can even see the portrait become more aged as time progressed, reflecting the realism that had been captured in these issues. The coins of Perikles, Mithrapata′s successor, continue this trend, but also have two innovations that set them at the pinnacle of classical portraiture. First, the portrait is moved to the obverse of the coin, emphasizing the importance of the individual. Second, and most prominently, the portrait is not in the traditional profile, but in a dramatic facing state. Obviously influenced by Kimon′s facing Arethusa-head coinage at Syracuse, these depict Perikles looking out from the surface of the coin with a serene countenance and his hair flowing around him as if blown by the wind. This depiction captures the essence of the earlier idealized portraits, conveying to the viewer a sense that Perikles was more than a mere man, but retaining the realism in its individualized features. Interestingly, both Mithrapata and Perikles are depicted without any sort of satrapal headgear, which was always included in earlier Lycian portraits, perhaps indicating that they had declared their independence from the Persian king. Unfortunately, these astonishing developments in portraiture came to an abrupt end in Lycia when Maussollos of Caria invaded the region circa 360 BC.

Coins of Perikle are known since the coinhoard of Buçak in 1957.
Minor weakness of strike. Very impressive portrait of Perikle.
Great classical style. Very rare.

cf. Auction Nomos 6, 8 May 2013, no.100 (in xf $ 20.000 + 15%)
BMC- ; cf. SNG.von Aulock 4253 ; cf. Kraay-Hirmer plate 191, no.659 ;
Slg. Dr. Maag 777 (Peus Nachf. Auktion 407) ;
Slg. Dr. Sayar - (Künker, Auktion 402) ; Müseler VIII, 38 ;
Vismara- (cf.215) ; Babelon, Traité- ; Slg. Reuter 104 ;
Olçay-Mørkholm, Podalia Hoard 429 ; Mildenberg in Vestigia
Leonis. pl. XXXVI, 2 RR
vf+