Mopsos In Cilicia With Zeus Laureate & Lighted Altar

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,205
Novicius Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 1168 Posts	Posted 02/12/2022 7:39 pm Another coin from a city that I hadn't heard of. Interestingly all the references that I found attributed the coin to Mopsos, but there were no maps with a city of that name. The ordinary name is apparently Mopsuestia, as found in Stephanus of Byzantium and all the Christian geographers and chroniclers, however Pliny the Elder called it the free city of Mopsos. An ancient city of Cilicia Campestris on the Pyramus river, it can also be found under the names; Mopsouhestia or Mompsuestia or Mopsus or Mamistra. The name Mopsos appears in the Hittite Maduwattas text as Muksus. The famous Luwian-Phoenician bilingual inscription from Karatepe in Cilicia from the eighth century BC, introduces the king Azitawadda from the "House of Mopsos". The hieroglyphic Luwian text attests the name as Moxos. In the Barrington Atlas the city is named Mopsou(h)estia / Seleukeia pros to Pyramo. The city was said to have been founded by the soothsayer, Mopsus, who lived before the Trojan War, though there is scarcely a mention of it before the Christian era. The city appears to have changed hands many times, and under the Seleucid Empire, it took the name of Seleukeia pros to Pyramo. Under Hadrian it was called Hadriana. Mopsos, Cilicia. 164-27 BC. Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right. Reverse: Lighted altar; monograms below. Countermarked. Reverse Inscription: ΜΟΨΕΑΤΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΟΥ. Bronze. Diameter: 22 mm. Weight: 4.6 gr Reference: SNG France 1941-2; SNG Levante 1308-11; Klein 667 Report this Post to the Staff

Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 02/12/2022 9:17 pm Never knew Mopsos went by so many different names in antiquity. Interesting coin with a great bust of Zeus. Report this Post to the Staff
Palouche Pillar of the Community Spain 2752 Posts	Posted 02/13/2022 3:18 pm Nice coin Jim....Thanks for the info on the city name. Any ideas on the counter-mark? Report this Post to the Staff
Novicius Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 1168 Posts	Posted 02/13/2022 8:29 pm Quote: Interesting coin with a great bust of Zeus. Thanks, Bob. It was the bust of Zeus that drew me to the coin in the first instance. Quote: Any ideas on the counter-mark? Thanks, Paul. The countermark is unlike anything I have come across before. It resembles the impression of a horse's hoof, with a star at the point of the frog. It can be seen (just) in the enhanced image below. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16808 Posts	Posted 02/14/2022 12:28 am I'd heard of Mopsus, but only by reading through the Sear catalogue and noting the name, and that it was one of the few ancient city-states with the letter psi in its name. I like the slogan on the coin (Mopsus, the Holy and Independent). A pity that more of the inscription isn't readable on this coin. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
Novicius Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 1168 Posts	Posted 02/14/2022 8:35 pm Quote: A pity that more of the inscription isn't readable on this coin. Indeed, but if I see one in the future that fits my budget, I'll be bidding on it. Report this Post to the Staff
circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 02/17/2022 10:11 am The background history you give us here is truly fascinating, Novicius. It provides such a solid foundation for appreciating your coin. A bit of time-travel, if you will. The specimen is quite nice! As much as I appreciate countermarks (for the historical value), I wish it didn't cost the detail loss to the obverse portrait of Zeus. On a coin that small, however, there is little alternative. Still...a marvelous coin! Report this Post to the Staff
Novicius Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 1168 Posts	Posted 08/24/2024 9:45 pm Quote: As much as I appreciate countermarks (for the historical value), I wish it didn't cost the detail loss to the obverse portrait of Zeus. I agree, Mike. It has been two and a half years since the original post, but this coin from Mopsos has a much nicer portrait of Zeus. It is just a pity that it is so far off centre. In it's favour, it does have a nice even, almost black patina. Quote: A pity that more of the inscription isn't readable on this coin. Unfortunately the reverse of this coin hasn't fared very well either, @Sap. I think I was still lucky to get it though. On ACSearch there were 98 coins from Mopsos with Zeus and a lighted altar, though nearly all had the reverse inscription vertical on either side of the altar, or in the exergue. Only three had the inscription around the periphery. The first https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2414362 is around 3gr heavier. The second coin https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2579366 has the same diameter, but the coin is also about 3gr heavier. The third https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7805735 has the diameter slightly smaller and weighs 1gr more than the OP coin. The devices and monograms match, but the reverse inscriptions don't. The (apparent) inscription for the coin reverse was given as [ΣEΛEVKEΩ]N TΩN ΠPOΣ ΠVPAMΩI, however those on ACSearch are ΣEΛEYKEΩN TΩN ΠPOΣ TΩI ΠYPAMΩI. I've left it as it was as it isn't possible to read what it actually is, and referenced the coin as cf SNG France 1938. I didn't find a similar coin on Wildwinds. Mopsos Cilicia. 2nd to 1st Century BC. Obverse; laureate head of Zeus right. Reverse; Lighted circular altar, with three legs, monograms in field to left and right. Reverse inscription; [ΣEΛEVKEΩ]N TΩN ΠPOΣ ΠVPAMΩI. Bronze. Diameter; 21 mm. Weight; 6.40 gr. Reference; cf SNG France 1938. Edited by Novicius 08/24/2024 9:47 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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