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Æ
| Issuer | Sardes (Lydia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 133 BC - 14 AD |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | A cult statue of Artemis of Sardis (Artemis Persike) depicted facing, shown as a stylized idol with arms extended horizontally, set centrally within the field. Flanking the idol on either side is the legend ΣAPΔIANΩN divided across the field, with the letters arranged vertically to left and right of the central type. The whole design is enclosed within a dotted border. The rendering of the cult image is consistent with the distinctive local Lydian type of the goddess as worshipped at the great temple of Artemis at Sardis. |
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| Additional information |
Sardis had been the wealthiest city in the ancient world under Croesus, the Lydian king whose name became synonymous with gold, but by the time these bronzes were struck the city operated as a Roman provincial center under the authority of the proconsul of Asia. The long date range reflects a type that persisted through multiple civic magistracies rather than a single issue.
The city was devastated by the earthquake of 17 AD under Tiberius — one of the worst to strike Asia Minor in antiquity — making pre-disaster civic bronzes the survivors of a municipal rupture that effectively reset Sardian coinage.