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Drachm - Ariarathes VI Epiphanes
| Issuer | Kings of Cappadokia |
|---|---|
| Year | 130 BC - 110 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Drachm |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of Ariarathes VI Epiphanes facing right, rendered in fine Hellenistic portraiture style with naturalistic facial features and carefully detailed curling hair. The royal diadem is tied at the nape of the neck, with a loose end visible behind the head. The portrait is set within a slightly irregular round flan typical of hammered coinage of the period. The field is plain, with no additional inscription on the obverse. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΡΙΑΡΑΘΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΙΓ |
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| Additional information |
Ariarathes VI came to power under uncomfortable circumstances — his father Ariarathes V died fighting alongside Rome against Aristonikos of Pergamon in 130 BC, the very year this coinage begins. The kingdom passed to a minor, with his mother Nysa serving as regent, and she reportedly had several of her own sons killed to consolidate control before Ariarathes VI was old enough to resist her. He eventually had her executed.
The SNG von Aulock 6284 reference places this among the better-documented die groupings for the series, though attributions across the twenty-year span remain contested by specialists working from hoard evidence.