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This silver tridrachm from Tarsus in Cilicia was minted under Emperor Hadrian (117–138 CE). Tarsus, the provincial capital and major trade center on the Cydnus River, produced Roman provincial coinage blending imperial portraiture with local Hellenistic traditions.
Obverse: Laureate head or bust of Hadrian right, often cuirassed and draped. Inscription typically: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΘΕ ΤΡΑ ΠΑΡ ΥΙ ΘΕ ΝΕΡ ΥΙ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟΣ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΕΒ (or variants), emphasizing his divine adoptive lineage.
Reverse: Turreted and veiled Tyche (city goddess/Fortune) seated left on a throne, extending a palm branch in her right hand (symbol of victory/prosperity); cornucopia or scepter often in left. At her feet, the river-god Cydnus swims left, crowned with sedge reeds, personifying the fertile, navigable river vital to Tarsus’s economy. All within a dotted border; ethnic ΤΑΡΣΕΩΝ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩΣ (“of the Metropolis of the Tarsians”) arcs around.
Context & Symbolism: Issued during Hadrian’s reign (some dated ~117/8 AD), possibly tied to his Eastern travels or local improvements (e.g., harbor work). Tyche represents civic protection and fortune; Cydnus highlights geography’s role in agriculture, trade, and prosperity. The design asserts Tarsus’s identity and loyalty under Roman rule.
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