KINGS OF PONTOS. Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 120-63 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 33 mm, 16.79 g, 11 h), Pergamon, year 224 of the Bithyno-Pontic era, 3rd month = December 74 BC. Diademed head of Mithradates VI to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ - MIΘPAΔATOY / EYΠATOPOΣ Stag grazing left; to left, star-in-crescent (Pontic royal badge) above ΔΚΣ; to right, two monograms; in exergue, Γ; all within Dionysiac wreath of ivy and fruit. Callataÿ D61/R-. SNG Copenhagen 236. SNG Delepierre 2476. A beautiful piece with a bold late Hellenistic portrait. Thin flan crack and with some doubling on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.


This impressive tetradrachm was struck in the first year of the Third Mithridatic War (74-63 BC), when the great adversary of Rome was already in his early sixties. The King's portraits on these late issues are very much in Hellenistic tradition as they portray a youthful, energetic ruler, strongly reminiscent of Alexander 'the Great', the role model of all Greek Kings.