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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2755268, member: 19463&quot;]There are quite a few variations on this theme from Tarsos.&nbsp; 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.</p><p>[GALLERY=media, 6428]Tarsos. Balakros 333-323 BC. AR Stater by dougsmit posted May 30, 2017 at 2:27 PM[/GALLERY]</p><p>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.&nbsp; I regret the double strike garbled the Aramaic legend on obverse right which is so clear on the OP coin.&nbsp;&nbsp; I wanted those letters because the demonstrate the entirety of my abilities in the Aramaic language.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Aramaic reads right to left and Ba&#039;al looks like our Luy.&nbsp; These letters also appeared on a favorite coin of mine shown here too many times before.&nbsp; The countermark on this Aspendos slinger/wrestlers stater shows a bull sacred to Ba&#039;al and so inscribed in the tiny countermark.&nbsp; </p><p><img src="http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/image/91787699.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>Going back to Mikey&#039;s wondercoin or Valentinian&#039;s &#039;good enough for the rest of us&#039; example and reading from the bottom we can subtract Luy and leave the three letters that spell Tars.&nbsp; Now all of us have the same skills in Aramaic that I do.....two words.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Balakros of my coin with the club was appointed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satrap" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satrap" rel="nofollow">satrap</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilicia" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilicia" rel="nofollow">Cilicia</a> after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Issus" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Issus" rel="nofollow">Battle of Issus</a>, 333 BC.&nbsp; He died shortly before Alexander.&nbsp; Mikey&#039;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.&nbsp; They could write anything there and I would not recognize the difference. </p><p><br /></p><p>Mazaios was the Satrap appointed by the Persian king Darius III who was defeated at Issus by Alexander.&nbsp; Balakros was a bodyguard of Alexander and got the job. </p><p>If all this sounds familiar it may be because you have seen a famous mosaic of the battle often used to show Alexander&#039;s appearance.</p><p><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg/800px-Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg/800px-Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg/800px-Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I would love to have the full &#039;set&#039; of these even if they were all test cut (as most do seem to be).&nbsp; I have not seen a fourree one.&nbsp; Anyone?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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