Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/490

 466 History of Art in Antiquity, the other. An exemplar with Greek legend from Malhis, in CiHcia, takes us farther ava from the daric type (Fig. 239). The king is running, and holds a bow in the left hand and a long spear Fig. ajd.— Silver eoia of nnkooim Mtnp. Fio. 937.— Sitrer coin of nnknown tat imp. in the right. In the field at the side is an ear of corn. The device on the reverse is in the Greek style and taste ; it depicts Hercules slaying the Nemxan lion. A purely fanciful type is seen on the fine coin, unique of its kind, and certainly struck by one of the Ionic cities (Fig. 240). On the obverse a lyre, the usual coin-type of Colophon, with the legend BA^iA. Some are inclined to identify the figure upon it with Artaxerxes Mnemon;* but the Achaemenidx are invariably characterized by either the kidaris or the fluted tiara, and the head-dress which the engraver has bestowed upon his personage is worn by subordinates alone at Persepolis. The coin, therefore, is more likely to have iseen struck by a satrap. The weight of the coins we have passed in review is not Fio. 938.— Fmian silver i%los. Fio. — Silver coin, MaUus. Fto. a4a — Silver tetndnuibin. Bakclav Hbad, C«nMser, Plate III. Fig. 24. uniform. This suffices to prove that they did not all come from the royal mints. We cannot discuss in this history the several problems the fact involves. We care little to know the nature and the extent of the restrictions imposed by the great king upOll cities, satraps, and dynasts, who were alhnved the right of coinage for their necessities. It is no doubt difficult to fix the line which
 * Waddikgton, MHangu it NumismaHfue, i86t, ^ 96.