Evagoras I, 411 – 373. 1/4 stater, Salamis circa 411-374, AV 2.01 g. u-va-ko-ro in Cypriot characters. Youthful head of Heracles wearing lion skin headdress, facing three-quarters l. Rev. pa-si-le-wo-se in Cypriot characters. Goat lying r. Traité 1150. BMC 51. Tziambasis 110.
Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. An issue of great
fascination with a portrait of exquisite style. Good extremely fine

Ex NAC sale 84, 2015, 682.

Throughout the 5th and 4th Centuries B.C., up through the arrival of the conquering Macedonians, Cyprus was home to a rich mosaic of coinage, mostly issued in the names of kings based in seven of the island's most important cities. Thereafter, it remained an active coining center for the Macedonians, the Ptolemies and the Romans. Evagoras I was one of the better-known kings to rule in Cyprus. He began life in exile while Cyprus was under Phoenician control, and as a young man gathered perhaps fifty loyal followers, with whom he was able to claim power in Salamis in 411 B.C. A devotee of Hellenic culture, Evagoras aligned himself with Athens at a time when the Persian Empire was powerful and ruled over much of the mainland near the island. Though he was showered with honors by the Athenians, Evagoras attracted the unwanted attention of the Persians, whom he was able to placate through crafty diplomacy and by providing naval support early in the 4th Century. When conflict with Persia became impossible to avoid by about 391, Evagoras proved a worthy and resourceful opponent, working with allies in Greece and Egypt to such a degree that he actually extended his authority into central Cilicia and Phoenicia. However, within a decade the Persians had overwhelmed him and he sued for peace. He was allowed to rule under terms, surviving another seven years until he was murdered as a consequence of court intrigue.