PAPHLAGONIA. Sinope. Pseudo-autonomous issue. AE (Bronze, 17 mm, 5.49 g, 6 h), struck under Claudius, CY 96 = 51/2 AD. Radiate and draped bust of Sol facing; to left and right, forepart of a horse. Rev. [ANN XC]VI (retrograde) / C I F Two colonists plowing left with two oxen. RG 94. RPC I 2133. SNG Copenhagen 316. Extremely rare and of great interest. Somewhat smoothed and the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, very fine.



This striking obverse design features the radiate bust of Sol Invictus - the Unconquerable Sun - facing between the heads of his horses. It alludes to the god beginning his daily journey across the heavens in his chariot, drawn by flying steeds, rising in the East and setting in the West, bringing light and warmth to the world. The depiction of Sol and his horses on this coin closely mirrors that found on 2nd-3rd-century AD silver disk, now housed in the British Museum (BM 1899,1201.2), which was originally discovered in Pessinus - just a few hundred kilometers from where our coin was minted.