Eight Rayed Star From Uranopolis

Another coin with a bit of mystery regarding the fate of the town/city of minting.

Uranopolis is said to have been founded in 315 B.C. by Alexarchos, brother of Kassander, the king of Macedonia, and is located at the edge of the third peninsula of Halkidiki. In ancient times, it was called Ouranopolis (meaning the town of the sky), and it developed as a trade centre.

Very little is actually known about this ancient town in the kingdom of Thrace, which gave it's name to the present day town. It was important enough though to have struck it's own coinage. The bronze coins depict an eight rayed star representing the sun on the obverse, and Aphrodite Urania seated, holding a long filleted sceptre surmounted by a ring on the reverse. Next to the sceptre there is a conical object surmounted by a star. The representations on the coins indicate the existence of some sort of pagan cult which honoured Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

As far as is known ancient Ouranopolis did not survive for very long, and there is no apparent record of what became of the town. In 1954 a Swedish underwater expedition discovered what they believed to be the remains of a town, stretching westwards from the foot of the tower in present day Ouranoupolis towards the islands. They are said to have found the walls of houses alongside roads, a bridge and a fireplace. When they dug into the sand which covered the fireplace they found charcoals and ashes. Although this detail cannot be confirmed, there are certainly substantial walls under the sea in front of Ouranoupolis.

Macedon, Uranopolis, ca. 300 BC.
Obverse: Eight-rayed star representing the sun. Reverse: OYΡANIΔΩ-ΠOΛEΩΣ, Aphrodite Urania seated left on globe (Celestial Sphere), head facing, holding long sceptre. Bronze. Diameter: 16 mm. Weight: 2.08 gr.
Moushmov 6909; AMNG III-2, 3; SNG ANS 914-918; BMC 2-4; Sear SG 1475.