Asia Minor, Caria, city of Halicarnassus, AE 19 (1st century BC)

Obv.: head of Poseidon r.
Rev.: Woman. Deity standing, holding patera and cornucopia (?)

Asia Minor, Caria, city of Halicarnassus, AE 16 (3rd century BC).

Obv.: head of Poseidon r.
Rev.: Trident, i.F. small owl (?)

Asia Minor, Pontos, city of Amisos,
AE 21 (85-65 BC)
minted under Mithridates Eupator (ca. 132 BC - 63 BC)

Obv.: Head of Perseus with Phrygian cap r.
Rev.: Pegasus l. standing, head inclined downwards 

Own a coin of the Mithridatic ruler who challenged Rome!

Historical

Mithridates VI came from the Persian family of the Mithridates. According to legend, he had to flee from his mother at the age of 11 after the murder of his father and spent 7 years isolated in the mountains. Upon his return, he took power and began to expand his empire. In the course of his conquests, the Pontian also attacked the Roman province of Asia, which ended in three Mithridatic wars. The coin offered was minted during all three wars. In the end, Mithridates was defeated by Pompey in 63 BC and eventually deposed by his family in favor of his son. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown.

Mithridates VI was also a pioneer in coinage. A new type of alloy was developed under him. He was also the first ruler to introduce bimetallic systems based on copper. Thus, in several mints, effigies of Perseus were minted in "pure" copper, as well as effigies of Dionysus in brass. All other types of coins, as well as the offered AE coin were made of bronze with a small amount of lead.

Perseus was the son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, and the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles. Along with Kadmos, Bellerophon and Heracles, he is one of the most famous Greek heroes.  In Greek mythology, he is also the legendary founder of Mycenae and the Perseid dynasty.
His most outstanding deeds include beheading the Gorgon Medusa for Polydektes and saving Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus.

Pegasos is the famous winged horse of Greek mythology. It was the child of the sea god Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa. According to legend, Pegasos jumped out of Medusa's neck with her twin brother Chrysaor during Medusa's beheading. Another tradition reports that Pegasos and Chrysaor came into being with the first drop of blood that touched the earth.

This special horse was not only a friend and helper to the Greek heroes, but also to the muses and the goddesses of the arts. Through his hoofbeat, a spring, the so-called Hippocrene, sprang from a rock, the water of which encouraged a person drinking from it to write poetry. This is why Pegasus was later called the poet's horse. One of these springs is said to be in the Helicon, another near the city of Troizen.

Immortalised as a constellation: Because of his faithful service, Pegasus was moved to the sky by Zeus and transformed into a constellation. This constellation can still be seen in the sky at night.

The origins of Pegasos as a hybrid being are probably of oriental origin. In Cretan and Asia Minor art, he was frequently depicted on the reverse of Roman coins, even as late as the third century AD.

Asia Minor
Ionia/City of Phokaia
EL-Hekte
Minted from: 387-326 B.C.
Av.: Athens bust l.
Rs.: Quadratum Incusum

Historical

Hekte translated from the Greek means sixth and generally refers to the sixth part of a unit. The term is used in a narrower sense for ancient coins from the 6th and 5th centuries BC to 1/6 electron stater from Cyzicus, Mytilene and Phokaia.

Athena, as the goddess of wisdom, battle strategy, crafts, law, agriculture and art, is one of the main gods of Greek mythology. Unlike Ares, the god of war, she does not want war at any cost, but chooses her battles wisely. Because of her intelligence, she is often symbolized by an owl. In addition, Athena is the patron goddess of Athens. The famous statue Athena Parthenon, which stood in the temple built in her honor on the Acropolis, translates as "Virgin Athena". In fact, unlike most of the other Olympian gods, she never entered into a love affair.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus, the supreme Greek god, and Metis, his first lover. But since, according to a prophecy, Zeus would be overthrown by his own son and Zeus' daughter would be the god's equal, Zeus devoured his pregnant lover. When he suffered from a severe headache with connection, he ordered the smith god Hephaistos to split his head. When he opened Zeus' skull, Athena emerged in full armor. Since she came directly from Zeus' head, she became the symbol and goddess of wisdom. On coins Athena is often depicted with helmet shield, spear, aigis, snake, owl, han or olive tree.

The quadrum incusum denotes a depression in uneven on the still imageless reverse of early Greek coins.  Over time, a square divided by several lines emerged. In many places, the quadrum incursum was retained even after it was replaced by an image representation. Thus, the coin image appears in a recessed square.

Asia Minor/Ionia
City Teos
AR Diobol
3rd-2nd century B.C.
Av.: seated griffin to r.
Rs.: lyre

A coin in great condition from the ancient city that many fought over!

Coins from Teos are sought after - and they were already in 300 BC. Many kings, such as the Macedonian ruler Antigonos I Monophtahlmos, tried to gain control of the city, some, like his rival Lysimachus, were successful. But the city also survived raids by mercenary troops like in 287-283 BC. Possibly this coin was already minted as part of the ransom money of the time! Later, the Seleucid kings exercised influence over the city. The influence of the fine arts is also noticeable, so on the coin you can see the griffin and the lyre.

Ariobarzanes I Philorhomaios (95-63 BC), King of Cappadocia, Ancient ruler coinage.

Vs. Ariobarzanes I., diad.bb. r.
Rs. Athena standing l. with small Nike and spear, shield at her feet.
Year 30=66/65

Historical

Ariobarzanes I Philorhomaios was king of Cappadocia from 95 BC to 63 or 62 BC.

He came from a noble family and was elected the new king after the line of Ariarathes died out.

His reign was constantly challenged by Tigranes II of Armenia. He was supported by the Roman protecting power.

The portraits of Ariobarzanes I on coins (cf. Sear 7300ff.) show his ageing in a realistic style without recognisable idealisation and thus follow Hellenistic models.