16 Litrai - Philistis

Issuer	Syracuse
Year	274 BC - 212 BC
Type	Standard circulation coin
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Obverse description	Veiled and diademed bust of Queen Philistis facing left, the veil rendered in flowing folds that drape elegantly over the back of the head and shoulders, with wavy hair visible beneath the diadem at the brow. The portrait exhibits refined Hellenistic workmanship, with delicate facial features including a straight nose, slightly parted lips, and a drop earring visible at the ear. An ear of barley is placed in the field behind the head, serving as a symbol of Sicilian agricultural prosperity. The coin displays the high-relief engraving characteristic of the finest Syracusan die-cutters of the Hieronid period.
Obverse script	Greek
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Reverse description	A fast quadriga driven vigorously to the right by Nike, the winged goddess of victory, who holds the reins and a goad as the horses gallop at full stride. In the right field appears the control mark KIΣ, while a crescent symbol is placed above the chariot and an ear of barley with stalk is depicted below, in or near the exergue. The encircling legend BAΣIΛIΣΣAΣ ΦIΛIΣTIΔOΣ, meaning 'of Queen Philistis,' frames the dynamic scene, with KIΣ serving as a die-control or magistrate's mark. The composition reflects the vigorous tradition of Syracusan quadriga reverses, heir to the celebrated designs of earlier masters such as Kimon and Euainetos.
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