Satraps of Caria. Halikarnassos. Maussolos 377-352 BC.
Drachm AR

15 mm, 3,63 g

Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly to right / ΜΑΥΣΣΩΛΛO, Zeus Labraundos standing to right, holding labrys and spear.

Very Fine

HNO 647 (temporary); SNG Copenhagen 593; SNG Kayhan I 876; SNG Ashmolean 363.

Maussolos was a notable figure in ancient history and the most famous satrap (governor) of Caria, a region in southwestern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). He ruled Caria from 377 to 353 BC and belonged to the Hecatomnid dynasty, which was a local ruling family under the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Mausolus is best known for his ambitious building projects and the construction of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, a magnificent tomb for himself. The Mausoleum was designed by skilled architects and adorned with impressive sculptures and intricate decorations. After his death in 353 BC, his wife and sister, Artemisia II, completed the construction, and the monument became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.