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Æ 17 - Mithradates III
| Issuer | Kingdom of Commagene |
|---|---|
| Year | 20 BC - 12 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 5 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A crab depicted in high relief, shown from above in a schematic yet recognizable style, with its broad carapace centrally placed and claws extended to either side. The legs are rendered on both flanks of the body in a stylized manner typical of Hellenistic provincial bronzes. The design is contained within a dotted border that follows the round flan. |
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| Mintage | ND (20 BC - 12 BC) |
| Additional information |
Commagene occupied a strategically awkward position between Rome and Parthia, and its kings were practiced at performing loyalty to whichever power was closer and angrier. Mithradates III ruled during a period when Augustus was consolidating Roman influence across the eastern frontier, and Commagene's semi-autonomous status depended on careful diplomacy rather than military strength. The kingdom would be annexed outright by Vespasian in 72 AD, but these bronzes circulated in a polity that genuinely believed it might survive indefinitely as a buffer state.
The Alram and Kovacs references place this type among the poorly documented small bronzes of the dynasty — Kovacs cites it only in a note, suggesting the series remains incompletely catalogued.