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12 Units - Kotys I Nero
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 63 |
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| Currency | Drachm |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of the Emperor Nero facing right, rendered in the Hellenistic provincial style typical of Bosporan coinage. The portrait displays the emperor's characteristic features with a laurel wreath crowning the head and drapery visible at the shoulder truncation. A continuous Greek legend encircles the effigy, reading from the lower right around the full field. The workmanship reflects the local Bosporan engraving tradition, combining Roman imperial iconography with Greek epigraphic conventions. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Kotys I ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client of Rome, and his coinage from 63 AD reflects the tightrope diplomacy required of a subordinate king during Nero's principate. The kingdom's continued autonomy depended almost entirely on demonstrating loyalty to whoever held power in Rome, and coin types were adjusted accordingly to signal that alignment. Nero's own troubled reign ended in 68 AD, but Bosporan bronze of this period circulated well into subsequent reigns — the kingdom's remote position on the northern Black Sea littoral insulated it from the immediate political shocks felt closer to Rome.