There are many different popular series of ancient coins. One that is not so popular in the west, although collected in Ukraine and Russia, is coins of the Kingdom of the Bosporus. They are usually cataloged with other "North Black Sea Area" coins. I wrote a website with some information about them, including a list of the standard reference works. http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Bosporus/ Here is one of my favorite pieces: Mithradates III and Gepaepyris, 39-44 CE. Gepaepyris was the wife of the previous ruler (Aspurgus) and step-mother of the young Mithradates III (His birth mother had died). Struck 39-41 23 mm. 7.19 grams. BACIΛEΩC MIΘPAΔATOV Head right, diademed. BACIΛICCHC ΓHΠAIΠVPEΩC Draped bust of Gepaepyris rt., IB before neck. MacDonald 312. Anokhin 331. (They both use the same image) Show some coins of this out-of-the-way kingdom!
No coins of he bosporus to show but just wanna thank you for your fantastic website. You've been teaching us about numismatics for a very long time...
I have a couple from this kingdom. Here's one like yours, @Valentinian: Tiberius Julius Mithradates, King of the Bosporus AD 41-45, and his mother, Gepaepyris, Wife of Aspurgus. Bosporus Kingdom, probably prior to AD 41. Æ 12 nummia, 7.92 gm, 23.5 mm. Obv: ΒΑCΙΛΕΩC ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ, laureate head of Mithradates, right. Rev: ΒΑCΙΛΛΙCCΗC ΓΗΠΑΠΥΡΕΩC, laureate, draped bust of Queen Gepaepyris, right. Refs: RPC I, 1911; MacDonald 312; Anokhin Bosphorus 331; Sear GIC 5433; BMC 13.51,5. Notes: Acquired from Beast Coins, 2 July, 2003. And this one featuring Claudius and Agrippina II: Claudius, AD 41-54 and Agrippina II, AD 50-59. Roman provincial Æ 12 Nummia, 9.30 gm, 25.0 mm. Bosporos, under King Kotys I, AD 50-54. Obv: ΤΙ ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΥ ΚΑΙCΑΡΟC, laureate head of Claudius, right. Rev: ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝ ΑΓΡΙΠΠΙΝΑΝ CΕΒΑCΤΗΝ, head of Agrippina II, left, in loop ponytail; BAK before. Refs: SGI 5438; RPC 1925; BMC 13.52,7; Anokhin Bosporus 348; SNG Copenhagen 31.
Excellent Warren, truly excellent. Funny enough, I have the opportunity to showing off mine two times in a couple of days, while there's usually absolutely no thread about them Bosporan kingdom – El stater, dated 491 (194-195 CE) BACIΛΕωC CAVPOMATOV (anticlockwise). Draped and diademed bust of Sauromates II right Laureate head of Septimius Severus right. Star in right field. Retrograd VPA at exergue (year 491) 7,69 gr – 20 mm Ref : MacDonald # 502/2, Sear # 5476 var https://www.cointalk.com/threads/bosporan-kingdom-sauromates-ii-el-stater.360957/ Q PS : @Valentinian, should you want/wish/need to use my picture to illustrate the type, please feel free to
Rhoemetalkes Av Stater. 131-132 A.D. with Hadrian Obv. Bust right of Rhoemetalkes . Rv Bust of Hadrian right. 7.77 grms 19 mm RPC 908 This coin illustrated Actually when this coin was bought it was identified as a Cotys II Photo by W. Hansen
