The Coin Cabinet Ltd. > Kallista Auction 1 | Auction date: 3 October 2024 |
Lot number: 65 Price realized: 1,700 GBP (Approx. 2,253 USD / 2,041 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on ![]() |
Lot description: ANCIENT GREECE. KINGDOM OF PONTOS. Mithradates VI 'Eupator'. Gold Stater, 88-86 BC. Istros. First Mithradatic War issue, in the name and types of Lysimachos. Obv: diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing horn of Ammon. Rev: Athena Nikephoros seated left, resting arm on shield, spear behind; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ crowned by Nike to left, ΔΙ in inner left field, ΙΣ on throne, ornate trident in exergue. About Extremely Fine; rev. double struck with a worn die, a bold portrait. Mithradates VI 'Eupator Dionysus' ('the Great') was undoubtedly one of the most formidable and enigmatic rulers of the ancient world. As the king of Pontus in the 1st century BC, he became a thorn in the side of Rome, leading a series of protracted and bloody wars known as the Mithridatic Wars. Mithradates was renowned not only for his military acumen and ambitious expansionist policies, but also for his fascination with toxins and antidotes. According to legend, he sought to make himself immune to poisoning by ingesting small doses of various poisons throughout his life, a practice that became central to his legend. His complex character was marked by both cruelty and cunning; he was a ruler who inspired both fear and admiration - yet chiefly one who harboured grand ambitions of creating a vast empire to rival Rome. In this, he nearly succeeded, winning numerous battles and rallying various Eastern states against the might of Rome. However, despite his early successes, his campaigns ultimately failed, and he was forced into a dramatic final stand, taking his own life rather than be captured by his enemies. To this day, Mithradates remains a symbol of resistance against imperialism - a ruler whose life was as dangerous and unpredictable as the poisons with which he experimented. From the Euclidean Collection; acquired from Baldwin's (dealer's ticket included). Reference: Callataÿ-p. 139, D1/R1; AMNG I-482; SNG Copenhagen-1094 (same dies; Thrace); HGC 3.2-1799. Die Axis: 12h. Diameter: 20 mm. Weight: 8.14 g. Estimate: 1000 GBP | ![]() |