Apros (Kermeyan)

Topography and History

Apros, conveniently situated in the Thracian interior, served as the place of residence for multiple Odrysian kings in the 4th century BC.¹ It is likely identical to the Galatian city known as Tylis,² which formed the centre of the Galatian Empire in the late 3rd century BC. In addition to the coins presented here, the name of the city is handed down in various forms of writing, including on a phiale from the silver treasure of Rogozen.³ The history of the city is largely unknown, and only a few incidents, such as the presence of Antipater, are known. It has also been discussed whether or not the city had been destroyed by Antiochos II. However, the city was later the residence of Kavaros, and a Roman colony, ‘Colonia Claudia Aprensis’, was founded in the first century AD.

Coin Production und Metrology

To date, only a few bronze coins in two nominal values are known from Apros. Both feature the head of Apollo on the obverse.⁴ The larger denomination, with a diameter of ca. 20–22 mm and a weight of just over 6 g, features the image of a kithara on the reverse.⁵ The smaller denomination, with a long (celtic) shield on the reverse, has a diameter of about 16–18 mm and a weight of ca. 3.2–4.7 g.⁶ They can probably be dated to either the middle of (260–252/250 BC) or to the end of the second half (240/230–218/213 BC) of the 3rd century BC. Because the same motifs appear on the coins of Kavaros, V. Damyanov and M. Manov conclude that the first coins of Kavaros were minted in Apros.⁷ This would suggest a date during his rule between 230/215218 BC.

Our type catalogue represents the state of research from August 2019 and does not take into consideration any coin types that have become known later. Further information, especially about new types, is always welcome.