Ariobarzanes II inherited a Cappadocian throne already deep in Roman orbit — his father had been installed by Sulla, and the kingdom functioned in practice as a client state throughout his reign. The Mithridatic Wars had left the region economically exhausted, and silver coinage from this period reflects that pressure: fabric is often thin, flans irregular, and output appears to have been modest relative to earlier Cappadocian issues.
Simonetta 2a is among the earlier die groupings of his reign, placed close to the 63 BC accession date.
Ariobarzanes II inherited a Cappadocian throne already deep in Roman orbit — his father had been installed by Sulla, and the kingdom functioned in practice as a client state throughout his reign. The Mithridatic Wars had left the region economically exhausted, and silver coinage from this period reflects that pressure: fabric is often thin, flans irregular, and output appears to have been modest relative to earlier Cappadocian issues.
Simonetta 2a is among the earlier die groupings of his reign, placed close to the 63 BC accession date.