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Stater (Coin) Portraying Mithrapata

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

380-375 BCE

Artist:

Greek; Lycia, Asia Minor

About this artwork

This coin originated in Lycia, an independent country that belonged to the Greek Empire, in a district that is now southwestern Turkey. This coin displays one of the earliest known examples of a human profile on coinage. The image portrays the dynast Mithrapata, whose facial features are strongly depicted, with a flat nose, high cheekbones, a thick neck, a beard, and short curly hair. The profile is set within an incuse square that also contains the Lycian insription “MITHRIPATI.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Stater (Coin) Portraying Mithrapata

Place

Anatolia (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

380 BCE–375 BCE

Medium

Silver

Inscriptions

Reverse: MITHRIPATI

Dimensions

Diam.: 2.7 cm (1 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund

Reference Number

2008.423

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/196262/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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