Coins struck at Magnesia on the Maeander
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Magnesia on the Maeander, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Seleucid Persia.
In short
Magnesia on the Maeander in western Anatolia was an Achaemenid satrapal mint and the city Artaxerxes I granted to the exiled Athenian general Themistocles for his bread. Magnesia on the Maeander is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 261 BCE – 281 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm, Tetradrachm denominations, issued under Antiochos I Soter (Seleucid).
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 2
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 261 BCE – 281 CE |
| Eras represented | Seleucid Persia |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Drachm, Tetradrachm |
| Issuers | Antiochos I Soter (Seleucid) |
| Region | Western Anatolia (Ionia/Lydia border) |
| Famous holder | Themistocles, from c. 465 BCE |
| Authority | Satrapal and civic |
| Notable feature | Early realistic portraiture |
A Persian gift city
Themistocles, victor of Salamis and later exile, received Magnesia from the Persian king as a revenue grant, and coins bearing his name are among the most remarkable objects of the period — an Athenian hero striking money as a Persian vassal.
The city later issued under satrapal and civic authority, with types drawing on both Greek and Persian conventions.
Western satrapal coinage
Anatolian satraps enjoyed considerable monetary independence, issuing portrait silver in their own names — an unusual liberty that produced some of the earliest realistic portraiture in coinage, decades before Hellenistic kings adopted it.
Attribution rests on style, legends in Greek or Aramaic, and the identification of individual satraps such as Tissaphernes, Pharnabazus and Tiribazus.
Seleucid Persia · 312 – 141 BCE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Magnesia on the Maeander
- Did Themistocles issue coins?
- Coins bearing his name are attributed to Magnesia, which the Persian king granted him in exile — a striking case of an Athenian commander minting under Persian authority.
- Why is satrapal portraiture important?
- Western satraps put realistic individual portraits on silver decades before Hellenistic kings did, making these among the earliest true portrait coins.
- What coins were struck at Magnesia on the Maeander?
- Magnesia on the Maeander is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 261 BCE – 281 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm, Tetradrachm denominations, issued under Antiochos I Soter (Seleucid).
- How many Magnesia on the Maeander pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 261 BCE – 281 CE, spread across 1 era: Seleucid Persia.
- Which metals were used for Magnesia on the Maeander coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Magnesia on the Maeander?
- Drachm, Tetradrachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.