TARSUS SILVER STATER – DATAMES ISSUE WITH GODDESS ANA – SUPERB CHOICE AU NGC GRADED GREEK CILICIA COIN (Inv. 20539)

$3,000.00

20539. CILICIA, TARSUS. DATAMES (AS SATRAP), ca. 385/4-362/1 BC.
Silver Stater, 10.52 g, 23 mm. Issue of ca. 370 BC.
Obv. B’LTRZ (in Aramaic), Baal of Tarsus seated right, holding grain ear, grape bunch, scepter cradled in right hand, thymiaterion in field. Rev. Goddess Ana standing right, pointing toward Datames (Tarkumuwa), standing left, thymiaterion between, ANA (in Aramaic) and TRKMW (in Aramaic) in fields, all within square dotted border in linear border.
Casabonne Series 3; Moysey Issue 5; SNG France 294 corr. (Ana’s name not noted); SNG Levante –; SNG von Aulock 5948; Pozzi 2852.
Ex RH Collection, CNG Triton XVIII, 1/6/2015, lot 693 = ex Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection, Part II, Sotheby’s, 6/21/1990, lot 572.
NGC graded CHOICE AU, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, boldly struck with stunning high relief especially on the reverse, golden iridescent patina throughout.

The types of this coin reflect the rich indigenous cults of Tarsus and their role in legitimating the city’s Persian satrapal rulers. The obverse depicts the Baal of Tarsus (literally “Lord of Tarsus”), the chief deity of Tarsus. His depiction ultimately influenced the development of Zeus for the imperial coinage of Alexander the Great after his overthrow of the Persian Empire. The role of the Baal of Tarsus as a city-god is illustrated here by his placement within a border representing the walls of Tarsus. At the same time, on the reverse, the satrap Datames appears in an attitude of worship before the sky-god Ana, whose name may derive from that of the old Mesopotamian celestial deity, Anu.