Ancient Greece - 229-205 BCE Caria, Island of Rhodes AR Tetradrachm NGC AU in Fine Style

ISLANDS OFF CARIA, Rhodes. c. 230-205 BC. AR Tetradrachm, 12.91g. NGC Strike: 5/5, Surface 4/5. Obverse: Three-quarter facing head of Helios, the Sun god, with flowing hair and rays of sunlight emanating from his head. Reverse: ΘAPΑΣTAΣ Large rose with small rosebud to the right, and eagle symbol to left and P-O below, all encircled by a beaded border. References: BMC 241, 126. SNG Keckman 550.

Artist's rendering of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

The imagery of Helios, the sun gold, is often seen upon the coinage of Rhodes. It was around fifty years before the minting of this issue that a huge statue of Helios, called the Colossus of Rhodes, was built on the island. It is believed to be similar in size to the Statue of Liberty. The massive work was crafted by the sculptor Chares of Lindo, a native of Rhodes. Chares studied with Lysander, a noted artist of his time. The statue was constructed to honor a victorious battle won by Rhodes in 305 BC over the Macedonians. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

However, in c. 237/6 BC a catastrophe occurred when a violent earthquake struck the prosperous city, toppling the gigantic statue to the ground. Since Rhodes was an important center of commerce and generally well-respected among other Greeks, a few nearby city states offered to assist in rebuilding the Colossus of Rhodes. Such offers were always rejected by the citizenry due to their fear of offending their patron god. Thus the massive chunks of the statue remained on the ground and people from around the Greek world visited to view the once largest statue ever known.