Dium, Decapolis, Syria, AE12, 1.7 gr, 89-88 BC.

Turreted head of Tyche right.
AKS DIOY A in three lines.

BMC Arabia 19.
Rare.

Note: De Saulcy (Numismatique, pp. 378-380) attributed
this coin to Dium, Syria, dating it to 89-88 BC. Other
numismatists place the mint further east, e.g. Seleukeia 
ad Tigrim (Hill and Mörkholm), Ekbatana (Sellwood and Auge) 
or a mint in Iran (Le Rider). Other discussions concern
the dating of a DKS instead of AKS, to the Parthian
era, which would make the year of minting 24 BC.

Contributed by Ars-Aeterna / David Suter, Switzerland, April, 2012.