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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Caria, Achaemenid Satrapy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 341 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse displays a mounted warrior in vigorous rightward gallop, wearing the kyrbasia (pointed Persian cavalry cap) and rendered in active combat posture. The rider raises a thrusting spear aloft in his right hand, poised to strike. The Greek letter omicron (O) appears to the left of the horse in the field, while a dolphin swimming to the right is depicted in the exergual area below the horse. The composition reflects the Chian-Rhodian artistic tradition merged with Achaemenid satrapal iconography. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Caria's position as a semi-autonomous satrapy under Achaemenid Persian rule produced a monetary culture that was genuinely hybrid — local dynasts retained the right to strike silver coinage, a privilege most Persian-controlled territories never received. The coins functioned across Aegean trade networks rather than serving purely administrative Persian purposes, which is precisely why they were struck to a Greek weight standard rather than the Persian siglos system.
The dynasty most associated with this series culminates with Pixodarus, whose death in 341 BC effectively ends the independent coinage. Hecatomnus and his successors — including the Mausolus for whom the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built — are the figures behind the broader run of this type.