Pedasa (BC 4th cent) AE 12

ca 4th cent BC. AE12 (1.56g, 12h). Head of Athena right wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with palmette / ΠΗΔΑ−ΣΕΩ[Ν], owl standing right, head facing. VF, dark green patina. Extremely rare, apparently the second known coin of this city.

The city of Pedasa near Miletos was not known to have issued coins until von Aulock published a single small bronze coin in 1975. This piece, of the same legend and designs, appears now to be the second known coin of this city. Von Aulock proposed a date during the autonomous interval between 196 BC, when Pedasa was declared a free city, and 175 BC, when Pedasa joined in union with Miletos. However, the fabric, style, and letter forms all point to a more likely date in the early 4th century BC.