KINGS OF GALATIA. Amyntas, 39-25 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 29 mm, 16.00 g, 12 h), Side, circa 36 BC. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΑΜΥΝΤΟΥ Nike advancing to left, holding long scepter tied with a diadem in her right hand. SNG Copenhagen 94. SNG Paris 2344-2348. Rare. Nicely toned and very well centered on a full flan. Very fine.


Amyntas was a former secretary of the Galatian king Deiotaros who made a career as a client king of Mark Antony before defecting to Octavian prior to the Battle of Actium. His silver coinage was struck in Side and continued the civic types (see above, lot 239), albeit with his name and title and a scepter replacing Nike's wreath and the coat of arms of the city, the pomegranate. Some of Amyntas' tetradrachms carry a date IB = 12 on the reverse, which places them to 26/5 BC, the last year of his reign, whereas the others, such as this example, were presumably struck earlier in his reign, perhaps in 36 BC, when Pamphylia was given to him by Antony.