Drachm - Ariarathes I Sinope

Ariarathes I ruled Cappadocia as a Persian-appointed satrap before declaring independence, and his coinage reflects that transitional moment — struck at Sinope, a mint with deep Greek monetary traditions, his issues borrowed the weight standard and artistic conventions of the Black Sea Greek world rather than Achaemenid bullion practice. He was eventually captured by Perdiccas following Alexander's death and crucified around 322 BC, making his entire reign's output compressed into a narrow window. SNG BN 283 places this squarely among the earliest identifiable Cappadocian royal issues.