Stater Coin, Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, in the name of Lysimachus, minted at Callatis, c. 88-86 BC, gold, (classified as treasure)

gold, d=18 mm

8.35 g

DOCUMENTARY DATA

Obverse: head of the god Alexander the Great, wearing the horns of Zeus-Ammon. Reverse: the goddess Athena seated, facing left, holding Nike in her outstretched right hand, with her left hand resting on a shield and holding a spear. The goddess Nike is depicted with open wings and holding a laurel wreath in her hands. Below the throne, we find the first three letters of the name of the city where the coin was minted, "KAΛ" (Callatis).

Mithridates VI Eupator was a powerful king of Pontus, known for his conflicts with Rome, particularly in the Mithridatic Wars. Between 88-86 BCE, Mithridates was in the midst of an intense struggle for expansion and consolidation of his power against Rome. The coin was issued under his authority, but with the name of Lysimachus, another great military leader of the Hellenistic world, who had been a general of Alexander the Great and founder of a kingdom in Asia Minor. Lysimachus was a symbolic figure, and the use of his name on the coin reflected a political legitimacy that Mithridates desired to strengthen his authority among the inhabitants and other kingdoms.

Callatis, an important Greek colony on the Black Sea coast, was a significant economic and cultural center. By minting coins in Callatis, Mithridates consolidated his influence in the region and established a monetary unit that would be recognized in trade throughout Pontus and the Black Sea.

The stater issued during this period is numismatically significant, being an example of the fusion between Hellenistic heritage and the ambitions of Pontus. Coins issued under Mithridates in the names of other kings or with the image of other monarchs reflect a blend of political, economic, and cultural influences that marked the Hellenistic period and the beginning of its decline. In addition, the coins minted in Callatis are evidence of extensive commercial circulation in the Black Sea area and in relations with the Roman Empire, being used by both allies and enemies of Rome.