Salamis, situated on the south-east coast, was one of the most important kingdoms of the island of Cyprus.
Evelthon The first king of Salamis whose name appears on the coins was Evelthon. We can deduce his dynasty from a list of members named by Herodotus.
The earliest issues are the shekels on the Cypriote weight standard with a recumbent ram on the obverse, with the name of Evelthon in the nominative in Cypriot-Syllabic script and a smooth reverse. The fractions, such as thirds and sixths of a shekel, show on the obverse a head of a ram with the Cypriot-Syllabic sign e (initial of the king's name) and have a smooth reverse.
The next series, maintaining the same obverse type, has the name of the king inscribed in the genitive, but now the reverse side of the coin shows an ankh in an incuse square with flowers in each corner; occasionally the Cypriot-Syllabic sign ku is placed inside the circle forming the ankh.
The attribution of coins to Evelthon and/or to his successors is problematic because the types of the coins do not change, his name appears in the nominative or in the genitive on the obverse, and the reverse bears Cypriot-Syllabic signs whose translation and interpretation are still uncertain.
Phausis and Nikodamos
The next king of Salamis whose name is certain is Phausis . His coinage can be dated in the second quarter of the fifth century and features the same types as before (ram / ankh), as does the coinage of his successor Nikodamos (shekels, thirds and sixths of shekel). One recently discovered issue with the name of Nikodamos on the reverse is particularly significant because the name of Evelthon appears on the obverse, showing that the latter's name continued to be used even around the middle of the fifth century. Nikodamos also issued shekels, where he replaced the ankh on the reverse with a ram's head. His successor Evanthes retained the ram's head as the reverse type of his shekels.
His sixths of a shekel bear his name in abbreviated form, and the twelfths of shekel show the head of a ram on both sides.
Evagoras I and Nikokles
Literary evidence records that for a short period in the last quarter of the fifth century two Phoenicians, the second named Abdemon, usurped the throne of Salamis. Contrary to what was previously thought, no coins can be attributed to either of these usurpers. On the other hand Evagoras I, who replaced Abdemon by force in 411, not only appears often in literary sources, but is represented by an extensive surviving coinage. This is not surprising, since he not only tried to extend his rule over the other kingdoms of Cyprus but pursued an active overseas policy, forming links with such important Greek cities as Athens.
Evagoras' innovations in coinage included the introduction of new types, the use of the Greek alphabet and the minting of gold coins in Salamis.
His silver shekels show on the obverse the head of a bearded Herakles wearing a lion's skin, surmounted by the king's name in Cypriot-Syllabic script, and on the reverse a recumbent goat, with the royal title inscribed, also in Cypriot-Syllabic script.
His thirds of a shekel bear on the obverse a naked Herakles sitting on a rock, holding a horn in his left hand, a club in his right and on the reverse a recumbent goat, with the legend 'of king Evagoras' in Cypriot-Syllabic script.
Later on, the Greek letters E or EY (the initial or first two letters of the king's name) were added in the exergue on the reverse of some issues.
A rare gold quarter-stater of Evagoras shows on the obverse a beardless head of Herakles nearly facing and wearing a lion's skin knotted around the neck, and on the reverse a recumbent goat, with legends in Cypriot-Syllabic script. Gold tenths of a stater show a head of Herakles on the obverse and a recumbent ram on the reverse while on smaller gold fractions only the ram's head appears on the reverse, with the obverse unchanged.
Evagoras I was succeeded by his son Nikokles in 374/373. His coinage is formed principally of gold thirds and smaller fractions showing on the obverse a bust of Aphrodite wearing a Cypriot-type kalathos (a tall head ornament, usually decorated with motifs such as flowers or human figures) and on the reverse a bust of Athena wearing a crested and laureate Corinthian helmet.
Nikokles also issued bronze coins with a head of Aphrodite on the obverse and a dolphin on the reverse.
Evagoras II and his successors
Evagoras II, who succeeded Nikokles about 354/353, at one point lost his throne and collaborated with the Persian king in order to regain it. He issued coins in gold, silver and bronze. His gold staters show on the obverse a lion devouring its prey, with an eagle standing on its back with head turned and Greek legends and on the reverse a head of Aphrodite wearing a mural crown. The gold fractions show on the obverse a head of Aphrodite wearing a mural crown, on the reverse a head of Athena wearing a crested Corinthian helmet. The silver didrachms and hemidrachms of Evagoras II follow the 'Rhodian' weight standard and bear the same types as the gold fractions. His obols show on the obverse a head of Athena wearing a crested Attic helmet and on the reverse an eight-rayed star. Finally his bronze coins figure a similar head of Athena on the obverse, and on the reverse a lion walking right, with an eight-rayed star and the Greek legend EYA (the first three letters of the king's name).
Evagoras II's successor Pnytagoras appears as one of the Cypriote kings who distinguished himself during the siege and capture of Tyre.
Pnytagoras was then offered the kingdom of Tamassos as a reward by Alexander the Great.
Pnytagoras issued coins in gold and silver. On his gold staters and fractions the obverse type is a head of Aphrodite wearing a mural crown, the reverse type a male bust with long hair and wearing a crown consisting of four semi-circular plates, a large circular earring and a torque around his neck. His silver didrachms and obols on the so-called 'Rhodian' weight standard show on the obverse a bust of Aphrodite crowned with a myrtle wreath and on the reverse a head of Artemis holding her attributes, a bow and quiver.
Nikokreon succeeded his father Pnytagoras sometime before 332, and he used the same types as his predecessor for his gold coinage. On his silver issues of didrachms and tetrobols he replaced the reverse head of Artemis with that of a laureate Apollo. With his death in 310/309 the autonomous production of the mint of Salamis ceased.