PAMPHYLIA. Aspendos. Circa 380/75–330/25 BC. AR Stater

PAMPHYLIA. Aspendos. Circa 380/75–330/25 BC. AR Stater (24 mm, 10.88 g, 7h). Two nude wrestlers standing, grappling with each other; between them, ΙΟ. Rev. ΕΣΤFEΔΙΙΥΣ, slinger advancing right, preparing to release sling; in field before, triskeles to right. Tekin Series 4; SNG Paris 80 var. (triskeles to left). The famous coinage of Aspendos, struck over a century, is one of the most iconic series of the Greek world. The obverse scene of two wrestlers reflects the city’s strong athletic traditions and the importance of games as symbols of civic pride and identity. The reverse, showing a slinger in dynamic motion, conveys martial strength and the military skills for which Pamphylian mercenaries were renowned. The accompanying triskeles, another emblem of Aspendos, emphasizes local identity and continuity of civic iconography. This specimen, with its sharply detailed figures and well-preserved surfaces, is a fine representative of the classical Aspendian style. The dynamic energy of both obverse and reverse types underscores the artistry of the city’s engravers during a period of prosperity and autonomy in southern Asia Minor.