Cos, Caria, Nikias, tyrant, ca. 30 BC, AE32, 23.66 gr.

NIKIAS, lightly bearded and bare head of Nikias right. 
KWIWN ANTIOXOS, laureate head of Asklepios right. 
RPC 2724; BMC 196; SNG Copenhagen 687. 
Very rare. 

Nikias is not known to history apart from his coinage, usually 
dated between about 50 BC and the reign of Augustus. The 
evidence for this dating is the style of portrait, 
strongly influenced by the portraiture of Octavian and 
the reappearance of magistrate Charmylos on both the coins 
of Nikias (RPC 2731) and Augustus (RPC 2734-5).

With permission of www.artcoinsroma.it, Auction Dec. 2011.