ANCIENT COINS OF THE PERSIAN GOVERNORS

 

THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE of Persia founded by Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) was eventually conquered (330 BCE) by Alexander the Great. Achaemenid kings ruled their vast, multi-ethnic state through a system of appointed governors or satraps, recruited mainly from a narrow elite of closely related Iranian families. Satrap is the Greek reading of the Old Persian word khshathapavan, meaning protector of the province. As the Persians gained control over regions inhabited by Greek-speakers, these governors issued Greek-style coinage in their own names, and even bearing their individual images. These were some of the earliest coins to bear portraits of living persons, and are of great historic interest to collectors.

An important visual element in the depiction of satraps was their distinctive headgear, the kyrbasia[1], a sort of loose hood with long ear flaps. But some satrap portraits are bareheaded, perhaps a concession to the customs of their Greek subjects.

Pharnabazos

 
Electrum Hekte of Pharnabazos. Lesbos, Mytielene. Circa 412-378 BCE. Image: CNG.

Pharnabazos II came from an elite Persian family that had governed the province of Hellespontine Phrygia for generations (his grandfather was Pharnabazos I). He married Apama, daughter of king Artaxerxes II (ruled 404-358 BCE). In the last phase of the Peloponnesian War, Pharnabazos supported Sparta against Athens (413-404 BCE). Later, he turned against the Spartans (395-387 BCE), commanding the Persian fleet in a major naval victory at Cnidus.

 
Silver Tetradrachm of Pharnabazos. Mysia, Kyzikos. Circa 398-396 BCE. Image: CNG.

A number of Greek cities issued coins depicting Pharnabazos, including Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. A magnificent silver tetradrachm from Kyzikos bears a portrait of Pharnabazos with his name abbreviated in Greek, and the prow of a warship with two dolphins on the reverse. With only 13 examples known, this rare Persian coin brought $70,000 USD in a 2013 US auction.

To read the complete article, see:
Satraps: Ancient Coins of the Persian Governors (https://coinweek.com/satraps-ancient-coins-of-the-persian-governors/)

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