Mytilene issued a rare series of bronzes honoring men and women who were either connected with the history of the city or distinguished local citizens. The first coin in this series appears to be an issue honoring the historian and politician Theophanes and his wife Archedamis. Theophanes was a friend of Pompey, and it was his influence that won the city its freedom from Pompey in 62 BC (Plutarch, Pompey, 42), hence the reason for the coin issue (RPC 2342). This coin depicts Julia Procula, probably the mother of Flavia Nicomachis, who is also depicted in this series. An inscription from Mytilene mentions both Procula and Nicomachis as benefactors of the city (the term ηρωιδαν can mean heroine, but also patron of a city). Wroth assigns a date for this coin to the period of the Antonines, based on similarities in the style of Flavia's portrait to that of Faustina Senior. The poet Sappho (circa 650-600 BC), of course, is the most prominent citizen of Lesbos, an artist highly regarded in ancient as well as modern times for her love poetry and lyric hymns to the gods.
LESBOS, Mytilene. Julia Procula. Circa 150-200 AD. Æ 27mm (10.05 gm, 7h). Apollonidas, magistrate. ΙΟΥ ΠΡΟΚΥ ΛΑΝ ΗΡΩΙΔΑ, draped bust of Julia Procula right, hair coiled on top of head / ΕΠΙ ΣΤΠΑ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ, ΜΥΤΙ, Sappho seated right on low stool, playing lyre. BMC Troas pg. 200, 165; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Hunterian 1313.
