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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;zumbly, post: 2798443, member: 57495&quot;]Here&#039;s another win from Leu 1. I&#039;d been looking for a suitable example of this Provincial Sidonian type for a few years now and was very pleased to win this one.&nbsp; It has that heavy, chunky feel that&#039;s just plain pleasing in hand and the earthy colours really evoke the Levantine for me.</p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse has a relatively good depiction of what&#039;s commonly described as the Cart of Astarte, or Car of Astarte.&nbsp; Astarte was a goddess of war, sexuality and motherhood whose worship was widespread throughout the Levant.&nbsp; This covered two-wheeled vehicle would have served as a portable shrine during religious processions to transport the sacred baetyl, the aniconic form in which the goddess was worshipped.&nbsp; Also clearly shown is the base that the baetyl was set upon, as well as various other supports or decorations around the stone itself.&nbsp; These details show up a little differently on coins of the type that were issued about a hundred years later (during the reigns of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander), even though the form of the vehicle itself stayed the same.</p><p><br /></p><p>As usual, please feel free to post your examples, or any coins featuring Astarte.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]651748[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>PHOENICIA, Sidon</b></p><p>Pseudo-autonomous issue</p><p>AE Triassarion. 12.42g, 24.2mm. PHOENICIA, Sidon, CY 227 = AD 116/7. SNG Cop 247. O: Turreted, veiled and draped bust of city-goddess to right; behind, [aplustre]; before, star. R: ΣΙΔΩΝΟΣ ΙΕΡΑΣ, Cart of Astarte : covered two-wheeled vehicle facing slightly right, spherical baetyl set on a base within; ZKΣ (date) below.</p><p><br /></p><p>Edited to add:&nbsp; Just noticed that this was my 5,000th post on CT... that sure is a lot of coin talk!&nbsp; You guys are a consistently entertaining, enlightening and inspiring bunch... keep on coining! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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