Lot 91: Caria, Stratonikeia. Ca. 133-129 B.C. AR hemidrachm. Melantixos, magistrate. From the Mugla Hoard.

Caria, Stratonikeia. Ca. 133-129 B.C. AR hemidrachm (14 mm, 1.31 g, 12 h). Melantixos, magistrate. Laureate head of Zeus right / Σ-Τ across field, eagle with wings spread standing left; above, magistrate's name: ΜΕΛΑΝΤΙΧΟΣ; to lower left, pileus surmounted by star; all within incuse square. Meadows grp. 2, 123a (O52/R98; this coin); H. von Aulock, ""Zur Silberprägung des karischen Stratonikeia,"" JNG 17 (1967), pl. I, 20 = SNG von Aulock 8143 (same dies). Well centered and on good metal. Lightly toned. Choice very fine.

Ex Mugla Hoard, ca. 1965 (IGCH 1357).

Meadows' study of the coinage of Stratonikeia shows that this coin was struck by the city during the revolt of the pretender, Aristonikos (133-129 B.C.), following the death of Attalos III of Pergamum. Although the sources for this war are only fragmentary, it appears that Stratonikeia served Roman interests during the war, as considerably later ca. 81 B.C. the dictator Sulla wrote a letter thanking the city for its assistance.

Meadows also set out the sequence of issues of Stratonikeia's coinage, which sheds light on the history of the city. In this regards he made an observation of absolutely fundamental importance, assuming that it can be proven to have been similar at other mints. Meadow noted that the silver and bronze issues struck at Stratonikeia appear to have been consecutive rather than concurrent, and therefore ""[s]ilver coinage becomes an index not of prosperity but of financial drain and emergency, as well as a sign of the fiscal policy of the state (such as it was) being controlled from the outside, not within. Bronze coinage, by contrast, is the sign of a city peacefully going about its business"" (A. R. Meadows, ""Stratonikeia in Caria,"" NC (2002), p. 126).

• Offered By: Barry P. Murphy
• Lot #: 91
• Listing #: 234000
• Closed: Friday, June 3, 2016 5:45:00 PM CT
• Estimate: $150