Colin M. Kraay hypothesised in his book Archaic and Classical Greek Coins1 that both the dismounting rider on the obverse and the goat on the reverse of the Kelenderis staters are punning allusions to the city’s name:

On the obverse a young horseman is dismounting, and on the reverse is the forepart of a goat, which was replaced by the complete creature on all later staters. Both types appear to be punning allusions to the city’s name: the horseman, perhaps the mythical founder, is dismounting from his κέλης (race-horse), and some goats were known as κελάδες.

This hypothesis is often cited, although it has not been universally accepted.2 Indeed, it seems unlikely that the obverse type was chosen to create a punning allusion. It depicts a scene from an equestrian event known as the kalpe (κάλπη), in which the rider dismounted and ran alongside his horse during the final part of the race. The choice of this scene suggests that the event was popular in Kelenderis. For details, see Veselý 2023. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the city may have perceived a linguistic connection between the word for a racehorse and the abbreviated form of their city’s name inscribed on the reverse of the coins.

It likewise seems unlikely that the goat on the reverse was chosen solely because of this linguistic resemblance, although ancient viewers may nevertheless have perceived the allusion. It is unclear, however, what kind of goats the word kelades (κελάδες) denoted and whether they were kept in the area around Kelenderis. Unfortunately, Kraay does not cite the source of his information. The only reference to these goats that I have found is in a book by Joannes Jonstonus published in 1678:3

In this history wee shall first deal with the name, Copra, or Goat; then with Hircus, or Hee-Goat; after with Hadus, or Kid. Varro, Cicero, and Nonnius fetch Capra, à Carpendo, from cropping, Festus from crepans, because the Goat makes a noyse with the things; Martinius from kapto, from devouring, because it is a beast that eats much. It changes names from age and sex. The Greeks call it Aix, from aissein, to rush on with a force. But the newborne are called Aiges, and Erriphoi, and Chimaroi; the yearlings, or middle aged and growen Tragoi, yet this seemes to be the name of the males only. It hath many Synonimaes, the late Greeks call him Gida. The Turrhenians Kapra, the Cretians Karrano, Hesychius Meklas, and Astignas. The Kelades are shee-goats, and horned for most part; the Kelades are marked in the fore-head, as with a bunch, or hard-skin; the Mnaades are milked. [the text continues by listing other goat breeds]

Jonstonus likewise does not cite the ancient sources from which he drew this terminology. Moreover, according to him, the kelades were a particular breed of she-goat, whereas the Kelenderis staters appear to depict a he-goat, although the sex may be uncertain on early issues showing only the animal’s forepart. For the possibility that the animal depicted on the Kelenderis coins is a bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus), see the page The shape of goat horns on Kelenderis coins.

The Greeks and Romans made coarse cloth from goat hair. In Cilicia, goats with particularly long hair were bred for this purpose. The resulting fabric was consequently known in Latin as cilicium, a term also used for garments made from it (Greek kilikion, from Kilikia).4