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Stater - Mithrapata
| Issuer | Dynasts of Lycia (Achaemenid Satrapies) |
|---|---|
| Year | 390 BC - 370 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Facing head of a roaring lion depicted en face, with prominent mane rendered in raised, stylized striations framing the visage on all sides. The beast's large round eyes, broad muzzle, and open jaws with visible teeth are rendered in bold relief typical of Lycian dynastic coinage of the late fifth and early fourth centuries BC. A finely incised mane of serrated, radiating locks encircles the leonine head, filling the irregular flan. The style reflects the vigorous, somewhat archaic artistic tradition of the Lycian dynasts. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Incuse square field containing a forepart of a bull to the left in high relief, with the head lowered and facing the viewer in three-quarter view, surmounted by a prominent crescent or ox horn motif above. A helmeted male head, likely a warrior or deity, appears in the lower left of the incuse square. The Lycian dynastic inscription in Lycian script runs along the upper border of the incuse square. The overall composition is characteristic of the coinage of Mithrapata, dynast of Lycia, with the incuse technique common to Lycian silver staters of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Mithrapata was among the most powerful of the Lycian dynasts, controlling a large coastal territory and issuing coinage with a confidence that bordered on regal — unusual for a ruler nominally subordinate to Achaemenid Persian authority. His name is likely theophoric, incorporating the Persian deity Mithra, which reflects the cultural layering of Lycian identity under Persian suzerainty without full absorption into it. The stater series attributed to him is relatively prolific, suggesting sustained economic activity along the southwestern Anatolian coast during the early fourth century.
Podalia references 105–108 distinguish multiple die groupings within this type.