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Stater - Aspurgus
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 37 |
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| Value | Stater (1) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed bust of King Aspurgus facing right, rendered in a Hellenistic style with softly modeled features and short wavy hair. The effigy is contained within a plain raised border. The portrait exhibits fine die-cutting characteristic of Bosporan royal coinage of the early 1st century AD, with naturalistic treatment of the facial profile. No legend appears on the obverse. The flat, lustrous gold field frames the bust with generous space. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΡ ΓΛΤ (Translation: [coin] of King Aspurgus [year] 333) |
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| Additional information |
Aspurgus founded the dynasty that would rule the Bosporan Kingdom for the next two and a half centuries, having secured his position by simultaneously cultivating Roman patronage and maintaining workable relations with the surrounding Sarmatian tribes — a political balancing act reflected in his dual titulature as king and Roman citizen. His gold coinage was struck to Augustan weight standards, a deliberate alignment with Roman monetary norms rather than the older Hellenistic traditions the kingdom had previously followed.
Year 37 of the Bosporan era corresponds to a critical moment in his consolidation of power after Caligula confirmed his kingship around 37–38 AD.