PHRYGIA

Phrygia, once the center of a great kingdom ruled by the legendary King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold, covered a vast inland region of Anatolia. The region was known for its ecstatic nature cults centered on the worship of the mother goddess Cybele. After the fall of the Phrygian Kingdom, the region successively came under the rule of Lydia, Persia, Hellenistic kingdoms, and Rome.

Phrygian Mints

Phrygia is a numismatically diverse region, home to over 50 mints. Important mint cities include Aizanis (Aezani), Akmoneia, Apameia, Dionysopolis, Eumeneia, Hierapolis, Kotiaeion (Kütahya), and Laodikeia (Laodicea ad Lycum).

Apameia

Apameia, an important commercial and administrative center during the Hellenistic period, had a rich coin production. Its coins often feature designs reflecting local geography and religious beliefs. Depictions of the river god representing the Maeander River, which flows near the city, or various forms of Artemis, the region's principal goddess, are common motifs on Apameian coinage. These designs demonstrate the city's reliance on natural resources and the vibrancy of its religious life.