Bosporan kings TRACIAN HEAD OF KING BASS-SARABOU

Extremely Rare Pharnakes Stater (gando-Pharnes)

Argimpasa, Royal Xvarenah
CNG 84, Lot: 574. Estimate $25000.
Sold for $21000. This amount does not include the buyers fee.
KINGS of BOSPOROS. Pharnakes. Circa 63-46 BC. AV Stater (20mm, 8.08 g, 12h). Pantikapaion mint. Dated
Bosporan Era 247 (51/0 BC). Diademed head right / BAIE BAIEN MEAOY APNAKOY, Apollo
seated left on lion-footed throne, holding branch in extended right hand, left arm resting on kithara; tripod to left;
to right, ZM (date) above ivy leaf. Frolova I, dies A/k = G&K 12-3 (dies /K); MacDonald 186/2; Anokhin 220 var.
(ivy leaf to left); SNG BM Black Sea -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -; BMC -. EF, underlying luster, slight
die shift on obverse, light cleaning marks. Extremely rare, only two examples recorded by G&K (one in Vienna,
the other missing from the Gotha Herzogliches Mnzkabinett).
From the Alex Shubs Collection.
At the time of Golenko & Karyszkowskis publication of the corpus of known gold coins of Pharnakes, there were
15 known specimens. Over the past 15 years, a number have been found in hoards and excavations, though
very few of these have appeared on the market. Nevertheless, the new coins have a variety of new markings and
dies that render G&Ks die study obsolete. In the forthcoming study, the authors postulate the these coins were
the product of more than one mint, and the present specimen is one of two known from a royal mint at
Phanagoreia.
Pharnakes was awarded the Bosporan Kingdom by Pompey, for the betrayal of his father Mithradates VI, King of
Pontos. Little is known of his 16-year reign except for its ending. During the Civil War between Pompey and
Julius Caesar, Pharnakes tried to recapture his father's former territories in Pontos. He won a victory over
Caesar's general, Domitius Calvinus, and ordered Romans in the region castrated or put to the sword. In
response, Caesar launched a rapid five day war against Pharnakes in 47 BC, culminating in the battle of Zela.
Caesar emerged victorious, prompting him to report back to the Senate with the now famous dictum, "Veni, Vidi,
Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered).

The archons and kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., did not
issue regal coinages, but the money of their time must be looked for in the rich civic currency of
Panticapaeum (q. v.). The following regal issues are subsequent to the fourth century B.C.
Paerisades. Head of king, diademed, rev. Athena seated holding Nike.
AV stater imitated from the staters of Lysimachus. Podschivalov assigns the varieties of this coin to
Paerisades III, IV, V, VI, who ruled circ. B.C. 280 to B.C. 100 (see BMC Pontus, p. xxix).
Spartocus. Head of king, rev. [] Bow in case. AR Attic didrachm. Second
century B.C. (= Spartocus IV?, son of Paerisades) (BMC Pontus, p. xxix).
Leucon II or III. , inscribed . Types: Head of Herakles, rev. Bow and
club; Head of Athena, rev. Fulmen; Shield and spear, rev. Bow in case. Second century B.C. ?
(BMC Pontus, p. xxx).
The Bosporan coinage of Mithradates VI Eupator, king of Pontus, is described under his name,
supra, p. 502.

504
Pharnaces II, B.C. 63-47, son of Mithradates VI Eupator, struck AV staters for his kingdom
of Bosporus; obv. Head of king, diademed, rev.
, Apollo with branch and lyre, seated before tripod (BMC Pontus, p. xxxi).
Asander, B.C. 47 (or 44-431) to 16, issued AV and with inscr., ; also AV
with inscr., ; obv. Head of Asander, rev. Nike on prow (BMC Pontus, p. xxxi).
Also AV of his widow Dynamis, (Annali di Corr., 1841, p. 320; von
Sallet, Beitrge ... Cimm. Bosp., p. 15).
Hygiaenon. First century B.C. Known only from a silver coin reading
(Imhoof, Portrtkpfe, p. 34).
Akas. AV stater, like that of Paerisades, inscr., .
Second century B.C. (Imhoof, Portrtkpfe, p. 35).
The later kings of Bosporus who issued coins are as follows :
Aspurgus. B.C. 81-A.D. 38 ?
Rhescuporis I. A.D. 14-42.
Mithradates. A.D. 42-46.
Gepaepyris, wife of Mithradates ?
Cotys I. A.D. 46-78.
Rhescuporis II. A.D. 78-93.
Sauromates I. A.D. 93/4-123/4.
Cotys II. A.D. 123/4-131/2.
Rhoemetalces. A.D. 131/2-153/4.
Eupator. A.D. 154/5-170/11
Sauromates II. A.D. 172 (or 174/5)-210/11.
Rhescuporis III. A.D. 211/12-228/9.
Cotys III. A.D. 227/8-234/5 ?
Sauromates III. A.D. 229/30-232/3.
Rhescuporis IV. A.D. 233/4-234/5.
Ininthimeus. A.D. 234/5-239/40.
Rhescuporis V. A.D. 239/40-276.
Sauromates IV. A.D. 275/6.
Pharsanzes. A.D. 253/4-254/5.
Synges. A.D. 258-276.

Teiranes. A.D. 275/6-278/9.

Thothorses. A.D. 278/9-308/9.
Rhadamsades. A.D. 308/9-322/3. RHADA-MANTHYS
Rhescuporis VI (VII?). A.D. 303/4-341/2.
The money issued by the above mentioned kings consisted of (i) A stater coinage. Until circ. A.D.
124, this coinage (by the exceptional privilege of the Roman Emperors) was of gold (123-120
grains). The metal, however, deteriorated into electrum, and, finally, through the stages
of billon or potin, passed into bronze. These staters bear on one side the reigning
Emperors head (without inscription); on the other, the kings head with inscription, e. g.
CC C. The staters bear dates of the Pontic Era, Oct. B.C. 297. (ii) Bronze
coinage. The coins bear marks of value , , , and = 8, 12, 24,