The existence of political / economic alliances, which in the Roman era were mainly of a religious character, is evidenced by coinage. This occurs because the members of the alliance issued coins, either in the city of the koinon (federation) or in various mints, with a common face value, i.e. with the same standards (weight) and types (iconography). Sometimes the alliance is not mentioned in the sources. The coins of each minting authority can be distinguished by the name of the city, its symbols and the names of the archons who were responsible for the minting.
Cistophoric tetradrachms
The term cistophoric coin, which is found in inscriptions, comes from the representation on the obverse of the coin of the Dionysian cista mystica, the mystical basket from which a snake appears. On the reverse are two snakes with a quiver between them. The authority issuing the coins can be identified by the initials of the city and the symbols or monograms of the archons who were responsible for the minting.
Cistophoric coins had a wide circulation in Asia Minor from 200 BC to the mid-1st century BC. The first coins seem to have been minted by Ephesus just before 200 BC, and by Pergamum shortly afterwards; their weight was approximately 12.5 grams. The coin was soon adopted by many cities of Asia Minor, which began to issue the same types. Apart from Ephesus and Pergamum, the cities which minted cistophoric coins were Adramyttium in Mysia, Smyrna in Ionia, Apollonis, Thyateira, Nysa, Sardis, Stratoniceia ad Caicum and Tralles in Lydia, Apameia, Laodiceia and Synnada in Phrygia, and also Crete.
Pamphylia, Aspendus - Pisidia, Selge
The establishment of commercial agreements - which are not mentioned by the sources - and cultural contacts is evidenced by the coinage of Aspendus in Pamphylia and Selge and Etenna in Pisidia. In c. 500 BC the Greek city of Aspendus was the first to mint staters, weighing approximately 11 grams, in accordance with the Persian standard. In c. 400 BC the city, which had as types a hoplite on the obverse and a "triskeles" (three-legged figure) on the reverse, changed its iconography and began to portray two wrestlers on the obverse and a slinger on the reverse. When Pisidian Selge began issue coins around 370 BC, it followed the same types and the same standard, and shortly afterwards Etenna did the same. Selge was one of the most important commercial centres of Pisidia and was located in the valley of the navigable river Eurymedon, which had its outlet at Aspendus.
The koinon of Lycia
The coinage of Lycia, which was under Persian rule at the start of its minting activity in c. 520 BC, confirms the statements of ancient writers about the existence of a koinon of the cities in the area. Nearly all the coins issued by the rulers in the various cities and regions have a "triskeles" on the reverse. In 168 BC the Romans, who had from the late-3rd century BC played the role of mediator in the Mediterranean, granted independence to Lycia. The federation of Lycian cities was established under the auspices of Rome, as mentioned by Livy (45.15) and Polybius (30.5). The alliance was dissolved in 43 AD, during the reign of the emperor Claudius, who annexed Lycia to the province of Pamphylia. The coins minted by the 22 cities were drachmas and hemidrachms and displayed common types. The obverse depicts the god of light, Lycian Apollo (the national god of the Lycians), and the reverse his symbol, the lyre, inside a slightly incuse square. Because of their type the drachmas were called citharephoroi (lyre-bearing) in antiquity. The minting authority can be recognized by the initial letters of the city, which are shown on the reverse.
Koina in the Roman era
In the Roman era alliances and koina between the autonomous Greek cities were no longer necessary as the Roman state had a unified economic and political policy. However, the Greek cities of the Roman provinces had relative independence in their internal affairs and especially in their religious practices. This was the background which gave rise to the establishment of koina such as the one in Pontus and Bithynia.
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