Baaltar and the Persian Satrap

Baaltar refers to Baal of Tarsos---the same city of Tarsus where Saint Paul of the New Testament would be born centuries later. Baal is probably more familiar than most of us realize since there are numerous references to this semitic deity within the Old Testament. Numerous city-states in the Levant worshipped Baal in varying ways, differing in the powers and associations of this god. Tarsos attributed Baal with an eagle, clearly reminiscent of the Greek Deity Zeus, father of the gods. While I was aware Baal was a semitic deity worshipped throughout the Levant, I was surprised to discover that he was also worshipped from Egypt to as far as Cappadocia, modern day Turkey.

This silver stater was struck under the authority of the Persian Satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia, Mazaios, circa 334 BC---just prior to the invasion and conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great. The coin itself depicts an enthroned Baal, three animals and even grapes and grain---and Aramaic script----increasing my animal menagerie by nearly a third in one 'swoop'... and adding my very first example of Baal. It seems this coin has at least three notable flaws: it's relatively pricey, a bit off center on the reverse and exhibits somewhat distracting rough edges, particularly below Baal---the latter issue probably permitted me to win this coin at the initial required bid, substantially below estimate and even hundreds less than this precise coin previously sold at auction. I love the sharp devices, each exhibiting the benefit of fresh dies when this stater was struck---so how could I resist it?? Not to mention it is wonderful in hand!!

Below, I have provided three convenient links for those wishing to read more about Mazaios, Baal and the city of Tarsus:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazaios

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarsus,_Mersin






CILICIA, Tarsos. Mazaios. Satrap of Cilicia, 361/0-334 BC. AR Stater (24mm, 10.93 g, 6h). Baaltars seated left, holding eagle, grain ear, grapes, and scepter; TR (in Aramaic) to lower left, M (in Aramaic) below throne / Lion attacking bull left; monogram below. Casabonne Series 2, Group C; SNG BN –; SNG Levante 106. EF, toned.

Please feel free to pile on in anyway that seems relevant

 

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HOLY COW @Mikey Zee ! You are back posting with a VENGEANCE! VERY nice Stater! Nice write up! And wow, CONGRATS! Way cool. On my COVET-List!

 

fantastic koin Mikey Z and informative write up! 2 thumbs up!

 

Mine has the type of @Mikey Zee 's, but not the quality.

The two deep test cuts managed to avoid the the key parts of the type.
The reverse lettering is made of dots. The viewer is expected to be in third grade and connect the dots himself.
25 mm. 10.94 grams.
Sear Greek 5650. SNG Copenhagen 308ff. Weber 7639ff.
These are good-sized chunks of silver--very pleasing in hand.

 

Holy bull-eating-lions Mikey! That's a fabulous example of the type.

 

@Mikey Zee that is a real beauty. Wonderful coin altogether.

Quality? Maybe not as pristine, but I certainly wouldn't say "not quality". It would fit in my collection without a problem.

 

..those damn test cuts...a sign on silvers that fourees were prevalent of the type.

 

Thanks everyone!

And I agree with Bing, I'd love to add @Valentinian's example to my collection as well...

I seem to recall several others have an example of the type---Steve, TIF or Zumbly?

 

Gorgeous coin!

 

WOW!! That is a beauty.

Mine, not so much.


It is cool that this guy was part of the army facing Alexander at Gaugamela. He withdrew to Babylon, and surrendered on assurances the city would not be plundered. Alexander appointed him to be satrap of Babylonia - the first Persian to be so appointed.

 

There are quite a few variations on this theme from Tarsos. Mine adds a set of city walls (some claim them to be Jerusalem but IDK) and a club which are considered signs that the coin is of Satrap Balakros.

Tarsos. Balakros 333-323 BC. AR Stater by dougsmit posted May 30, 2017 at 2:27 PM

To make the other test cut coins look better, mine adds being double struck but it is still plenty good enough for me although other bidders in a FSR sale last year turned up their noses at it. I regret the double strike garbled the Aramaic legend on obverse right which is so clear on the OP coin. I wanted those letters because the demonstrate the entirety of my abilities in the Aramaic language.

Aramaic reads right to left and Ba'al looks like our Luy. These letters also appeared on a favorite coin of mine shown here too many times before. The countermark on this Aspendos slinger/wrestlers stater shows a bull sacred to Ba'al and so inscribed in the tiny countermark.


Going back to Mikey's wondercoin or Valentinian's 'good enough for the rest of us' example and reading from the bottom we can subtract Luy and leave the three letters that spell Tars. Now all of us have the same skills in Aramaic that I do.....two words.

Balakros of my coin with the club was appointed satrap of Cilicia after the Battle of Issus, 333 BC. He died shortly before Alexander. Mikey's coin issued under Mazaios bears part of his name in Aramaic above the lion but it is not clear enough for us to do another lesson. They could write anything there and I would not recognize the difference.

Mazaios was the Satrap appointed by the Persian king Darius III who was defeated at Issus by Alexander. Balakros was a bodyguard of Alexander and got the job.
If all this sounds familiar it may be because you have seen a famous mosaic of the battle often used to show Alexander's appearance.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg

I would love to have the full 'set' of these even if they were all test cut (as most do seem to be). I have not seen a fourree one. Anyone?

 

Wow @Mikey Zee! Another slam dunk acquisition and a great post to go with it.

This one might even replace the Seleucid tet as my my favorite coin of yours I've seen. Amazingly sharp details.

 

This type is on my want list (and has been for almost a year now).

The lion was supposed to represent Baal, and the Bull represented the gods of other civilizations ("My god is greater than your god."). When Alexander the Great conquered the area, that imagery had to change a bit, so the mint are Tarsus adopted the Alexander tet style. However, they kept Zeus styled like the Baal on the staters seen here. The resemblance is striking.

 

Wow, Mikey-Z => that's a very sweet OP-addition (big congrats!!)

 

I don't understand how this is compatible with the countermark @dougsmit showed

I have the countermark on a coin commonly attributed to Datames 378-372 BC (now sometimes read "Tadanmu")


AR22-19. 10.81 grams.
ANSMN 31 (1986) page 45, plate 2.20, countermark 7, page 61.
SNG von Aulock 5940 with c/m (their c/m at 9:00/3:00 instead of our 2:30/9:00).
DeCallatay RRQEMA&C type 276, with 296 examples of the type (not including the c/m) from 106 dies.
Sear Greek 5644

So, it looks more like the bull is associated with Ba'al. If so, it seems the "lion attacking bull" type must mean something else.

 

Mikey! What a spectacular example of the type!

I'd like to get one someday, primarily for the reason pointed out by @TypeCoin971793 .

 

The lion is not killing the bull, just attacking it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_architecture#/media/File:Nowruz_Zoroastrian.jpg
I also see a possibility of some factional meaning but that will require a lot more research.

 

Or a little?
http://www.astarte.com.au/html/persepolis_3.html

http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/7097577/

http://members.westnet.com.au/gary-david-thompson/page9b.html

Summary: IDK.

 

Nice addition Mikey.
I'd take any of these shown, any .

I've attempted or started doing research on the whole Ba'al issue but I always get side tracked. So, yeah I've got nothin.