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Tetradrachm - Zeuxis
| Issuer | Laodikeia (Phrygia) |
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| Year | 133 BC - 67 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Central type of the cista mystica, depicted as a cylindrical wicker basket with a partially open lid, from which a serpent emerges and coils upward to the left in high relief. The entire central motif is encircled by a lush ivy wreath rendered in fine detail, with alternating ivy leaves and berries arranged symmetrically around the field. The composition is characteristic of the Cistophoric coinage tradition originating in Pergamon, with the mystic basket evoking Dionysiac religious symbolism. The wreath border serves both as a decorative frame and as a defining feature of the cistophoric type. No inscription appears on the obverse. |
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| Mintage | ND (133 BC - 67 BC) |
| Additional information |
Laodikeia ad Lycum was founded by the Seleucid king Antiochos II around 261–253 BC and named for his wife Laodike. By the time these tetradrachms were struck, the city had passed into the Attalid sphere and then, following the bequest of Attalos III in 133 BC, into the Roman province of Asia. The Zeuxis types are generally understood as civic issues produced under the broad monetary framework the Romans permitted to established Hellenistic cities — a pragmatic concession to regional commercial habits rather than any grant of special privilege.
The dating range spans the better part of seven decades, suggesting continuous or near-continuous production across multiple magistracies. Zeuxis appears as a minting authority name on the coinage, placing this piece within a well-documented sequence catalogued across BMC, SNG von Aulock, and the Copenhagen collection.