Lot 4378

Description

Cilicia, Satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia, Tarkumuwa (Datames), (384-360/1 B.C.), struck c.380 B.C., silver stater, (10.01 g), Tarsus mint, obv. female head three-quarter face to left, wearing sphendone and necklace, rev. male head to right (Ares?), bearded wearing crested Athenian helmet, before Aramaic legend "Trdmw" = Datames, (S.5644, Moysey Issue 4, BMC 28, SNG Levante 79, SNG Paris 258-270). Toned, struck from worn dies, slightly off centred on obverse, good very fine/extremely fine and rare.

Ex Ex CNG (Classical Numismatics Group) Mail bid Sale 81,
May 20, 2009 (lot 561), with CNG ticket, coming from the Norman Frank Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 53, 15 March 2000, (lot 572).
In 379 B.C. Pharnabazos, satrap in Bithynia was given the task of reconquering Egypt for the Persian Empire. Datames, satrap of Cappadocia was later appointed to assist him. To finance this undertaking large quantities of silver staters were struck at Tarsus. He was left in sole command of this campaign after Pharnabazos death in 374 B.C. A few years later he became involved in the revolt of the satraps against the Persian king. The obverse of this coin is derived from Kimon's Arethusa on the coinage of Syracuse.