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Siglos - Uncertain King
| Issuer | Lapethos |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 470 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Male head facing right in archaic style, rendered with strong linear features characteristic of early Cypriot coinage. The face displays a pronounced eye shown frontally in profile, with a stylized beard and hair indicated by incised lines. The portrait, likely representing a local king or deity, occupies the central field of the irregularly shaped flan. The artistic treatment reflects the transitional Archaic-to-Classical period of Cypriot numismatic art, blending Greek and Near Eastern influences. |
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| Mintage | ND (500 BC - 470 BC) |
| Additional information |
Lapethos, on the northern coast of Cyprus, maintained close ties with the Phoenician world while nominally under Persian suzerainty during this period. Its coinage drew from both traditions, and the attribution of specific issues to named kings remains unresolved — the royal sequence for Lapethos in the early fifth century is poorly documented in ancient sources, leaving several siglos types classified simply as "uncertain king."
The BMC Greek #2 reference places this piece among the earliest Lapethian issues, predating the better-documented reigns that follow the Persian Wars.