Nomos AG, 63
DYNASTS of LYCIA. Kuprilli. Circa 470/60-440/35 BC. AR Tetrobol (19mm, 3.05 g, 10h). Winged goat left; triskeles to left / KO-ΠP-ΛΛE, triskeles in pelleted square boarder within incuse square. Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 1438; Peus 380 (3 November 2004), lot 44 = Leu 54 (28 April 1992), lot 152; otherwise unpublished. EF, lustrous. Extremely rare, the third known.
Many of these Lycian dynastic issues bear the triskeles, a distinctive mark that was also present on the coinage of the later Lycian League. The League operated under a federal assembly that was composed of representatives elected by its 23 member cities, and had the authority to levy taxes, pass laws, and govern the land. The political stability of this organization provided a union that robust enough to withstand and survive occupations by various invaders, including the Romans. This proportional representative government was studied by writers of the constitution of the United States, as a possible model for their own government.
