Siglos - Euelthon

Euelthon of Salamis was among the first Cypriot rulers to strike coins at all, doing so during or shortly after the island's incorporation into the Achaemenid satrapal system following the Persian conquest of Egypt in 525 BC. His adoption of coinage reflects a deliberate alignment with the broader eastern Mediterranean commercial network rather than any Persian administrative mandate — the Persians themselves issued coinage selectively and late.

The Cypriot syllabic script used in the inscription on these pieces was already archaic by regional standards, a conservative choice that distinguishes Salaminian issues from contemporaries. BMC Greek cites the Salamis series as foundational to the entire study of Cypriot numismatics.