Hero of Greece! In Your Face Romans!

After another USPS fiasco this specimen was shipped in mid March and took over 30 days to arrive DOMESTIC!!!!

After filing claims, aggravating a seller, getting annoyed with the USPS after declaring the item lost.

I am relieved that the specimen finally showed up. (I plan on making an offering to Hermes and Tyche respectively.)

This is an upgrade to a similar coin I sold to another CT member. The type is like most other Alexander the Great types except it differs in several interesting ways.




From my previous write up on the coin type. (Price 1191 and 1193)

Scholars agree that the bust is that of Mithridates VI of Pontos. These were minted in Odessos, Thrace sometime between 120-70 BC this particular coin was minted around 83/2 BC to finance the 2nd Mithratic war with Rome. These coins are believed to have been meant as payment to Macedonian and Thracian mercenaries. The 2MW ended in the retention of the Pontic Kingdom and the expulsion of the Romans from the Province of Asia. Mithridates VI would ultimately be defeated by Pompey the Great, and would ask for his friend to kill him by sword in order to evade capture and the resulting humiliation of a Roman triumph, concluding the third Mithratic War. He could not kill himself by poison, since he had given himself small doses of poison his whole life to guard against possible assassination.
For me I could not live without a Greek tetradrachm of one of the last Hellenistic Kings and the most successful to stand up to Roman Imperialism. A very cool and unique uber later Alexander type style coin.

Kingdom of Thrace and Pontus
Thrace, Odessos
Mithradates VI Eupator (Megas)
AR Tetradrachm (s.BC 83/2)
30 mm x 15.70 grams
Obv. Head of Mithradates VI as Alexander III as Hercules wearing Lionskin headdress right.
Rev. Zeus enthroned holding a Scepter and holding an Eagle out stretched. Greek script- BASILEWS / ALEXANDPOY. LAKW in left field. WDH in ex.
Ref. Price 1193



Last Tetradrachm in the name of Alexander.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I'll simply reiterate what I said to you in PM about how much I like this coin. Some of us have Pontic issues of Mithridates VI, but this is the first time I've seen someone post a coin with his portrait, and a magnificent portrait at that. The fine detail on the reverse combines with the portrait to make a truly exceptional coin.

 

As JA said, Magnificent! Both sides. Great coin.

 

The closest I come to a portrait is this coin, Mithridates in the guise of Perseus - which (let's be honest) is just Perseus...

Amisos, Pontos, time of Mithridates VI.
AE 18mm; 4.6g, circa 120-63 BC.
Obv.: Bust of Mithridates as Perseus right, wing at his temple.
Rev.: Cornucopiae between two pilei (caps of the Dioskuri) each surmounted by a star; AMI-ΣOY.
Reference: SNG Stockholm 1848; SNG Cop. 161; BMC 65; Waddington 32.

 

Yes!! Post up those Pontic coins!!!

 

Great coin and good to see it arrive finally.

 

I wasn't at all happy with the old image of the coin I just posted, so I took it out and re-shot it. I'm still not happy, but that has more to do with the coin than the pic. I'm much more discriminating these days. If I'm looking for a nice example of a common type coin, I don't settle for this sort of eroded patina anymore.

 

Super coin Masternoob, love the doubling on the reverse, Wow a true winner!!!

 

Better image JA

 

what a shame if that coin would have been lost...it's fantastic. a big sweel ol' piece of greek silver.

this was one of my first greek coins. i need to reshoot about half of my coins, that is an improvement JA.

 

This coin of Pontos, however, pleases me.

 

AMISOS, PONTOS
AE 20
OBVERSE: Head of youthful Dionysos right, wreathed with ivy
REVERSE: Thyrsos leaning against cista mystica draped with panther skin; AMISOU below
Struck at Amisos 85-65 BC
8.8g, 21mm
SNG BM Black Sea 1199-1200; HGC 7, 243

AMISOS, PONTOS
AE 21
OBVERSE: Gorgonian head facing on shield
REVERSE: AMI-SOU to left and right of Nike advancing right, holding palm over shoulder; ME monogram to left, VTE monogram to right
Struck at Amisos 80 BC
7.6g, 21mm
SNG BMC 1190

AMISOS, PONTOS
Æ17
OBVERSE: Head of Dionysos with ivy-wreath right
REVERSE: AM-ISOS, Thyrsos; monogram to right
Struck at Amisos 85-65 BC
4.0g, 17mm
SNG BM 1192-1195

 

=> man, this "stuff" never gets old!!

 

Excellent upgrade!!

 

very nice indeed, all is said above.

 

By far the superior image. Well done.

 

Wow Anoob! Beautiful portrait of Mithridates. I like the reverse too.

Glad it finally turned up. I've had good luck with the USPS lately....makes me worry my time is coming...

 

Beautiful posts guys!!! Steve, do you have every coin there is?? LOL

As JA mentioned Anoob, I haven't seen a Mithridates with his portrait imaged on a coin as Alexander before either....but I keep being reminded, with all the member posts, that there's a seemingly infinite number of examples I haven't seen before.

Great posts and fantastic coins guys!!!

 

I guess this qualifies for the theme/thread---my sole 'Pontic" issue: