Cnidus
Drachm circa 411-394, AR 6.09 g. Forepart of lion r., with open jaws and tongue protruding. Rev. K – N– I Head of Aphrodite r., hair bound. All within incuse square. SNG Copenhagen 256. SNG Lockett 2888. Cahn, Knidos, 116 (this coin illustrated).
Wonderful old cabinet tone, a small metal flaw and a die break
on obverse, otherwise extremely fine

Ex Naville sale VII, 1924, Bement, 1511. Privately purchased from Vinchon in 2011.
The city of Cnidus was well known in antiquity for its attachment to the goddess Aphrodite. It possessed no less than three important sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess. One was erected to honor Aphrodite Doritis (“the Bountiful”), a second to Aphrodite Akraia (“of the Akra”), and a third to Aphrodite Euploia (“of Fair Sailing”). Of these, the Temple of Aphrodite Euploia enjoyed the widest fame for the cult statue of the goddess that it obtained from the great Athenian sculptor Praxiteles in 365 BC. According to one tradition, Praxiteles had produced two statues of Aphrodite—one draped and another completely nude. The first was purchased by the people of Kos because they felt the nude statue to be indecent, but the Knidians were happy to possess it for their temple. This statue was renowned for its beauty and for the first time established a canon of proportions for the female nude in Greek sculpture. The Knidians were so proud of the statue that they placed it in the center of a circular sanctuary thereby permitting it to be viewed from all angles. Although Praxiteles original statue is now lost, while it still existed it was a great tourist attraction and spawned numerous extant Roman copies. It is unclear whether the head of Aphrodite depicted on this drachm represents the image of Aphrodite Euploia before the introduction of Praxiteles’ famous statue or if it was intended to depict one of the other forms of the goddess worshipped at Knidos.