Drachm - Mausolus Halikarnassus

Mausolus ruled Caria not merely as a Persian-appointed governor but as a dynast who played both sides with remarkable dexterity — nominally subordinate to Artaxerxes II while building a virtually independent kingdom, funding Greek mercenaries, and relocating his capital from Mylasa to Halikarnassos. His coinage reflects this dual identity, drawing on Greek die-cutting traditions while maintaining the weight standards of the Persian monetary system. When he died in 353 BC, his wife and sister Artemisia II completed the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos in his name — the monument that gave all subsequent mausoleums their name.