Catalog
Æ Obol - Eumelus / Spartocus III Panticapaeum
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 325 BC - 283 BC |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Frontal head of a bull, rendered in high relief with finely detailed horns curving outward and expressive eyes. The legend ΠΑΝ, an abbreviation for Panticapaeum, is arranged around the bull's head with Π to the lower left, Α above, and Ν to the lower right, occupying the field in typical Bosporan numismatic convention. The composition is bold and well-centered, reflecting the artistic tradition of the Panticapaean mint during the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BC. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Bosporan Kingdom's coinage of this period reflects the extraordinary longevity of the Spartocid dynasty, which managed to hold Panticapaeum — the dominant Greek city on the Cimmerian Bosporus — through skillful negotiation between Hellenic cultural identity and the surrounding Scythian and Maeotian populations. Eumelus, who seized power around 310 BC after killing two brothers, briefly attempted to position himself as a liberator of Greek cities across the Black Sea before drowning in a chariot accident, leaving Spartocus III to consolidate a reign that stretched into the 280s.