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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Pavlos, post: 3511768, member: 96635&quot;]Rhodos is very well known for all it&#039;s beautiful big silver, but big bronze coins are not that known. The only two big bronze issues on Rhodos are 1. The very late issues after 48 BC, when Rhodos was only allowed by the Romans to issue bronze quasi-autonomous coins. </p><p><br /></p><p>But 2. Rhodos also issued big bronze coins during the attack on Rhodos of the Pontic king Mithridates VI in 88 B.C. This siege lasted six months and on the end it turned to be win for the Rhodians. The big bronze coin was made because Rhodos was unable to produce enough silver for military expenditures, therefore the Rhodians resorted to a fiduciary bronze coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/X52BIFN.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><b>Rhodos, Caria. AE bronze coin (88 B.C.)</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Radiate head of Helios right.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Ρ - Ο Rose; in field to left, akrostolion; to right, palm branch.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> BMC 317</p><p><b>Size:</b> 27mm; 13.69g </p><p><br /></p><p>This issue in good state often goes for a few hunderd dollars, mine is not in that good state but still has nice details on the reverse but I only paid a few tens of dollars. All in all very happy to have such a nice historical coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>For the people who want to know more about the siege:</p><p><br /></p><p>The attack on Rhodes probably came after Mithridates had sent his main fleet to attack Greece. As a result the attack on Rhodes was to be made in two waves, with warships in the first wave carrying part of the army and transport ships in the second with the main force.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Rhodian Navy made a limited attempt to block the first wave, before withdrawing from the battle. The Rhodians then withdrew into their harbour, and while Mithridates waited for the rest of his army to arrive their fleet inflicted two minor defeats on his ships. When the transports finally left Caunus they were scattered by a storm, allowing the Rhodians to inflict serious damage on Mithridates&#039; army.</p><p><br /></p><p>Despite this Mithridates now had enough strength to attempt to carry out a night attack by land and sea, which ended in disaster. After that he decided to build a massive siege engine, in this case a flying bridge which was to be carried on two ships lashed together. This was to be raised against the wall using pulleys on the ship&#039;s masts to allow Mithridates&#039;s troops to storm the walls.</p><p><br /></p><p>This siege engine, nicknamed the <i>sambuca</i> (probably after a triangular four-stringed instrument favoured by Rhodian musicians), caused great concern in the city, but before it could be used against Rhodes, the <i>sambuca</i> collapsed under its own weight. Some of the credit was later given to the goddess Isis, whose temple was to be the site of the assault. After the collapse of his siege engine Mithridates retreated back to the mainland, to avoid being trapped on Rhodes by winter storms.</p><p><br /></p><p>I guess Mithridates didn&#039;t learn from Demetrios Poliorketes when building that big Sambuca <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Please share your (big) bronze coins of Rhodos![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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