The Beginning of a New Era

250, Lot: 263. Estimate $100. Sold for $280. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SYRIA, Decapolis. Gadara. Pseudo-autonomous issue. 1st century BC. Æ (20mm, 9.60 g, 12h). Dated CY 1 (64/3 BC). Bust of Herakles left, wearing lion skin, club over left shoulder / Rostrum right; above, L A (date)/ PΩMHΣ in two lines. Spijkerman 1; Rosenberger 1. Fine, green patina. Rare.

From the J.S. Wagner Collection.

In 64/3 BC Roman troops under Pompey liberated the Greek cities conquered by Alexander Jannaeus. Pompey personally supervised the reconstruction of Gadara. In commemoration of this event the people of Gadara established the year 64/3 BC as the beginning of a new era for their history, in substitution for the Seleukid era.