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Stater - Aspurgus
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 16 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Stater (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of a Roman emperor (identified tentatively as Augustus or Tiberius) facing right, rendered in a Hellenistic portrait style with short, softly modeled hair swept forward over the brow. The effigy displays naturalistic facial features characteristic of early Imperial portraiture. The field is plain, with no visible legend or inscription. The flan is irregular in outline, consistent with hand-struck Bosporan gold coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Aspurgus consolidated Bosporan rule around 14 AD after years of dynastic conflict, securing Roman recognition by adopting the names Tiberius Julius — visible in the regnal titulature that distinguishes his coins from those of his predecessors. His gold staters continued the long-running Bosporan practice of combining a Roman imperial portrait with local royal imagery, a political balancing act that kept the kingdom nominally independent while signaling loyalty to Rome.
Year 16 in the Bosporan era corresponds to approximately 19/20 AD. Aspurgus died around 38 AD, making this a relatively early issue from his reign.