Ancient Greece - 120-63 BC Pontic Kingdom, Mithradates VI AV Stater NGC MS
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4681456003
The head of the obverse shows the features of Mithradates VI, as known from his Asia Minor tetradrachms. These posthumous statues, in the name of Lysimachus of Thrace, are struck at the Tomis mint during the First Mithridatic War (88 or 89 BC to 85 BC). The gold coinage, as presented here, is related to the "liberation war" against the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of the Bridge led by Mithridates VI, whose stake is the control of Asia Minor. The war ends with the victory of the Roman legions, though smaller in number, led by Sylla.
During the ascendency of Mithradates VI, the popular coin types of Lysimachus of Thrace, originally struck nearly two centuries earlier, were restored and produced in great numbers by mints along the Black Sea, notably Istrus, Tomis, Callatis and Chalcedon, surely to pay the immense mercenary armies raised by the Pontic dynasts. The dies for these coins are generally hastily engraved in indifferent style and used to the point of exhaustion, with many coins showing heavy die rust and wear.
| Grading Service | NGC |
|---|---|
| Year of Issue | NONE |
| Grade | MS60 |
| Ancient Year Range | 2nd-1st C. BC |
| Denom Type | Ancient |
| Numeric Denomination | AV Stater |
| Mint Location | NONE |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Uncirculated |
| Strike Type | Business |
| Holder Variety | Strike 4/5; Surface 4/5 |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | N/A |
