KINGS OF BOSPOROS. Asander, as king, circa 43-16 BC. Stater (Gold, 20 mm, 7.66 g, 11 h), RY 23 = 25/4 BC. Diademed head of Asander to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ - AΣANΔPOY Nike standing left on prow, holding palm frond in her left hand and crowning the king's name with her right; in inner left field, KΓ. Anokhin 1337 var., Natwoka 21a-23a var., MacDonald 212 var. and RPC I 1859 var. (all with date as ΓK). An apparently unpublished variety of a very rare issue. Sharp and clear, and with an unusually attractive portrait of Asander. The surfaces somewhat polished and the reverse slightly double struck, otherwise, extremely fine.


The coinage of Asander is of great interest as it sheds light on the role of client kings in Roman civil wars. Asander was a governor of Pharnakes II who stayed in the Crimea when his lord set out to Asia Minor in 48 BC. The goal of the Bosporan King appears to have been to conquer the former lands of Mithradates VI Eupator while the Roman Empire descended into chaos after the outbreak of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Perhaps Asander was skeptical of Pharnakes' boundless ambitions from the outset, or he may just have waited for the perfect opportunity to turn against his master - in any case, he immediately rebelled after Caesar defeated Pharnakes in the Battle of Zela in 47 BC. When the king, released from Roman captivity, hurried back to the Cimmerian Bosporus, he was killed by Asander in battle. A year later, the rebellious governor also defeated Mithradates of Pergamon, a son of Mithradates VI Eupator whom Caesar had appointed to successor of Pharnakes and who tried to claim the Bosporan throne. This is where the coinage of Asander becomes of great interest: since no pretender to the throne could hope to be King of the Borporos without Rome's recognition and consent, Asander's earliest coinage from 47 up until 43 BC does not call him king but archon, and he wears no Royal diadem. It was only after Octavian and Mark Antony, who sought support from Asander in their war against the Caesarians, officially recognized him as king in 43 BC that he started striking coins with the Royal title and diadem. Having finally reached his ultimate aim, Asander remained loyal to Rome until circa 16 BC (or perhaps one or two years later), when he reportedly died at the great age of 93 years