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Didrachm - Biton
| Issuer | Kos |
|---|---|
| Year | 345 BC - 340 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Didrachm (2) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bearded head of Herakles facing right, rendered in fine archaic-to-classical Greek style, with the hero depicted wearing the scalp of the Nemean lion as a headdress, its jaws framing the crown of his head. The curly beard and hair are rendered in detailed relief, with individual locks carefully delineated. The portrait fills the flan with bold, high-relief modeling characteristic of Koan coinage of the mid-fourth century BC. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Κ ΩΙΟ Ν BITΩN |
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| Additional information |
Kos operated as a significant naval and commercial hub in the southeastern Aegean, and its silver coinage of this period reflects the island's prosperity under Hecatomnid influence — the Persian satrapal dynasty based at Halikarnassos that effectively controlled much of Karia and the adjacent island poleis during the mid-fourth century. The magistrate name Biton appearing on this issue is one of several known from the series, helping scholars construct a relative chronological sequence for Koan silver of this decade.
The weight standard is Rhodian, consistent with regional commercial practice across the Dodecanese.