Syria, Seleukis and Pieria, Seleukeia Pieria, Trajan, AD 98-117 AE 23, 12.65g, struck AD 100/101 (RY 4) obv. AVTOKP KAI NEP TPAIANOC APICT CEB ΓEPM ΔAK Laureate head r. rev. CELEVKEΩN - ΠEIEPIAC Perspective view of the tetrastyle temple of Zeus Kasios with canopy-like roof; on the top of the roof a flat base, on it an eagle with open wings. Inside a conical stone decorated with a knotted ribbon/pearl string. in r. field Δ (= year 4) in ex. ZEVC / KACIOC ref. BMC 274, 39; SNG München cf. 990ff. (without Δ); Price - Trell 212, fig. 445; Sear GIC 1081
Main deity of Seleukeia was Zeus worshipped as Zeus Keraunos and Zeus Kasios. The motif appears for the first time under Trajan. Probably not a portable shrine was meant. (Aeruginis). At the nearby mount Kasios a celebration of Zeus Kasios was celebrated annually. Therefore the cult object inside the shrine could be an agalma of this mountain itself, similar to those of mount Argaios. Due to the explicit reference "Kasios" this is perhaps closer than the of course also reasonable interpretation of the object in the sense of a holy stone or a holy dwelling (Baetyl, meteorite or similar) as e.g. in Emesa (Aeruginis). And we would also have a reasonable explanation for the hole, which can be always seen in the upper half of the stone. It could then correspond to a cave in which the ceremonies took place, as it did on the mount Argaios. (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zeus-kasios.337057/)
