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PSEUDO-AUTONOMOUS
Thessalonica, Macedonia
Obv: ΘΕCCΑΛΟ ΝΙΚΗC
Turretted and veiled head of city-goddess right.
Rev: KABEIPOC
Kabeiros standing left, holding rhyton and mallet.
(Lindgren II - 1176 / SGI 4820)
Comment: An interesting quasi-autonomous type of Thessalonika, with the scarce appearance, in both image and written name, of Kabeiros. Though apparently of Phrygian origin, this deity (or deities, as sometimes there were two or more instances of the Kabeiri) had their cult spread througout the ancient world, with numismatic appearances as far west as the Balearic islands. While in the latter case the facing, squatting Kabeiros holds a hammer and snake, here he is shown with a hammer and rhyton (drinking horn ending in animal's head).
21mm / 5.83g
die axis 2:00