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Stater - Sauromates I Hadrian
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 124 |
| 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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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Laureate and draped bust of the Roman Emperor Hadrian facing right, rendered in the Roman imperial portrait tradition with a short beard and laurel wreath. The bust is set within a beaded border, occupying the central field. Below the bust, the Bosporan regnal year monogram ΚΥ (= 420 of the Bosporan Era, corresponding to 124 AD) is prominently placed in the lower field. The reverse demonstrates the characteristic Bosporan stater convention of pairing the local king's obverse portrait with that of the reigning Roman emperor on the reverse, affirming the kingdom's client relationship with Rome. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΚΥ (Translation: [year] 420) |
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| Additional information |
Sauromates I ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client king under Roman authority, and these staters reflect that arrangement directly — the obverse carries the portrait of the reigning Roman emperor while the Bosporan king appears on the reverse, a visual hierarchy that left no ambiguity about who held ultimate power. The series continued a gold coinage tradition the Bosporan kings had maintained almost uninterrupted since the late first century BC, remarkable for a peripheral kingdom that outlasted dozens of more prominent neighbors.
By 124 AD, Hadrian was mid-way through his extensive provincial tours, and Roman engagement with the Black Sea client states was active policy rather than passive oversight.