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Hemidrachm - Parisades III Panticapaeum
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 165 BC - 155 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A single grain ear (wheat or barley), depicted upright and centrally positioned within the field, rendered in high relief with clearly articulated individual grains and flanking leaves along the stalk. The grain ear is a long-standing emblem of the Bosporan Kingdom's agricultural prosperity and its dominant role in grain trade with the Greek world. The flan is broad and irregular, with no inscriptions present. The plain field surrounding the motif accentuates the bold, naturalistic rendering of the ear. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Parisades III ruled the Bosporan Kingdom during a period of sustained Sarmatian pressure on the northern steppe frontier, and his coinage reflects a kingdom still projecting Hellenistic civic identity while managing increasingly complicated relationships with nomadic neighbors. The hemidrachm denomination itself was already archaic by the mid-second century BC — most Hellenistic mints had abandoned fractional silver in favor of bronze for small transactions. Panticapaeum's continued use of it suggests conservative monetary habits or specific trade requirements in the Pontic grain economy.