Lycian Dynasts. circa 390-370 BC. Diobol

The Lycian dynasts were regional rulers of Lycia, an area in southwestern Anatolia (modern Turkey), who minted their own coinage circa 390-370 BC. During this period, Lycia maintained a degree of autonomy while influenced by Persian and later Greek political currents. The diobol was a small silver coin used in various Greek cities, including Lycia, functioning as a fraction of the drachma. These coins typically feature iconography related to local dynasts or regional symbols, such as mythological creatures or gods, reflective of Lycian cultural identity. The coinage of Lycian dynasts illuminates the political landscape of Anatolia in the late classical period and offers collectors a glimpse into the artistic and monetary conventions of a distinctive ancient culture.