Catalog
Semis - Aspurgus
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 13-14 |
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| Value | 6 Units |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Ares facing right, wearing a crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on the head, rendered in a bold provincial style characteristic of early Bosporan coinage. The portrait is set within a plain field, with abbreviated legend elements visible to the lower left. The monogram ΒΑΜ appears partially around the portrait, referencing the royal authority of the issuer. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Aspurgus consolidated Bosporan rule in the early 1st century AD by simultaneously courting Roman patronage — he received citizenship and the right to rule from Augustus or Tiberius — while maintaining dynastic ties to the local Thracian aristocracy. This coin falls precisely within that transitional moment, issued during the first or second year of his reign when the kingdom was repositioning itself as a reliable Roman client state on the northern Black Sea.
The Anokhin 1389 attribution places this among the earliest of his copper issues.