Denomination: Cistophoric Tetradrachma                 

Date: 200 BC
    
This coin is named after the "Cista Mystica" or mystical basket shown on the coin. It was minted in the area of Pergamon, which was near the West coast of present day Turkey. The city became the center for healing and medicine in the ancient world and was called after asklepios - the Greek god of healing and medicine. Pergamon, in the province of Mysia, was an insignificant city under the Persian empire. In 190 BC, Pergamon assisted the Romans to defeat Antiochus III of Syria, then Rome had no territorial desires in Asia and they gave all the territories to Pergamon who turned it to a major Greek cultural center. Pergamon's library ranked second only to the library of Alexandria. To Rome's surprise the Pergamon King Attalus III (138 - 133 BC) gave the kingdom to Rome upon his death in 133 BC.
The symbols on the coin are the staff and snakes, which later became the universal symbol of medicine. The obverse features a Middle Eastern symbol, the cista mystica (magic box or mystical container).