Zagaba, 400 – 380
Stater circa 400-380, AR 9.85 g. Lion's head facing. Rev. zakhabaha in Lycian characters Head of Athena facing three-quarters l., wearing plumed Attic helmet and necklace: in r. field, branch. Olçay & Mørkholm NC 1971, 12 and pl. I (this coin). cf. Vismara 210 (tetrobol). SNG von Aulock 4209-4211 (tetrobol).
Very rare. An issue of great interest and fascination. Perfectly centred and with a wonderful
iridescent tone, minor traces of overstriking on obverse, otherwise extremely fine

Ex Hess/Leu 19, 1962, 313 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 577 sales. From the Podalia Hoard (IGCH 1262).
The reverse legend zakhabaha (Zagaba) written in the Lycian script has long been a source of controversy. While a majority of scholars have long tended to understand the legend as the personal name of an otherwise unknown Lycian dynast, others thought it could be a place name. Somewhat more recent study has made strong arguments for identifying Zagaba as a city. If this is correct, then this coin may possibly represent a civic issue struck during the reign of Vekhessere II, a Lycian dynast who employed the same lion scalp and Athena types for some of his coins. The reverse design of this issue was clearly inspired by the Athena facing portrait on the tetradrachm of Syracuse (Tudeer 59) engraved by Eukleidas. It is interesting to note how short the space of time was between the initial mint of the Syracuse coin and its Lycian “copy”.