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Siglos
| Issuer | Kourion |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 480 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Facing right lion's head in archaic Cypriot style, rendered with boldly incised mane striations and a prominent eye, the muzzle detailed with textured fur; the design fills the irregularly shaped flan with characteristic early Classical vigor. A test cut or banker's mark is visible across the central field, attesting to ancient circulation and authentication practice. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (500 BC - 480 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kourion was a Cypriot city-kingdom whose ruling dynasty maintained close ties with the Achaemenid Persian administration following Cyrus's absorption of the island's kingdoms into the empire in the 540s BC. The city's siglos issues fall squarely within the period of the Ionian Revolt and its aftermath, when Persian authority over Cyprus was being actively contested and then reasserted — most decisively at the naval battle of Salamis (Cyprus) around 497 BC, where Kourion's contingent reportedly defected mid-battle, handing Persia its victory.
That act of defection almost certainly influenced the political conditions under which these coins were struck.