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Dichalkon - Prusias II
| Issuer | Kings of Bithynia |
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| Year | 182 BC - 149 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Dionysos facing right, wearing an ivy wreath adorned with berries and leaves, with flowing hair rendered in wavy strands. The portrait is executed in the Hellenistic style typical of Bithynian royal bronzes, with fine facial detail including a prominent nose and beard. The field is plain, and the flan shows the characteristic irregular edge of a hammered provincial issue. |
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| Edge | Rough |
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Prusias II inherited Bithynia in 182 BC and spent much of his reign navigating the deteriorating balance of power between Rome and Pergamon — ultimately on the losing side of both. His decision to harbor Hannibal after the Carthaginian general fled Antiochus III brought Roman pressure directly onto Bithynia, forcing Prusias to hand him over in 183/182 BC. Hannibal reportedly took poison rather than submit.
Prusias II was eventually murdered by his own son, Nicomedes II, in 149 BC, who had Roman backing for the coup.