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Stater - Rhescuporis II Severus Alexander
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 224 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Stater (1) |
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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 | Diademed and draped bust of King Rhescuporis II facing right, wearing a torque at the neck; the hair rendered in wavy locks with a diadem secured by ribbon ends falling behind. A sceptre or trident symbol appears at the left field in some varieties. The royal effigy is executed in a Hellenistic portrait style blended with local Bosporan artistic tradition. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border, with the Greek royal legend distributed around the periphery. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | KΦ (Translation: 520) |
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| Additional information |
Rhescuporis II ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client of Rome, and this stater was struck during the reign of Severus Alexander — a relationship the Bosporan dynasty carefully maintained through coin iconography that paired their own portrait with that of the reigning emperor. The electrum itself by this period was severely debased compared to earlier Bosporan staters, the alloy having deteriorated steadily across the third century as the kingdom faced mounting pressure from Gothic and Alanic incursions along the northern Black Sea steppe.
The Anokhin sequence 1945–1947 captures a narrow span of issues within Rhescuporis II's long reign, which stretched from roughly 211 to 226 AD.