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Dupondius - Kotys I
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Dupondius (24) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central design features a tetrastyle temple depicted in frontal elevation, rendered with four prominent columns supporting a triangular pediment, the whole set upon a multi-stepped podium of five or six tiers. Two laurel or palm branches flank the apex of the pediment in the upper field. The Greek legend ΚΑΠΕ is divided by the temple façade, with ΚΑ to the left and ΠΕ to the right of the columns. The coin is bordered by a beaded (dotted) circle. The style is characteristic of Bosporan civic coinage of the first century AD. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Kotys I ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client of Rome, and this issue falls precisely within the chaos of 68–69 AD — the Year of the Four Emperors — when the empire that guaranteed his throne was tearing itself apart. Bosporan client kings routinely synchronized their bronze issues with Roman political calendars, and the timing of this dupondius places it squarely in a moment when loyalty to any particular emperor was, at best, a calculation made month by month.
The Anokhin corpus remains the definitive reference for Bosporan bronzes, and the 1475 attribution places this piece within a well-documented but modestly sized emission.