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Stater - Sauromates I Trajan
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 115 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of Bosporan king Sauromates I facing right, rendered in the Hellenistic tradition with wavy hair falling loosely behind the neck and a pearl diadem visible across the brow. The effigy is depicted with a draped shoulder visible at the bust truncation. The Greek legend encircles the portrait within a beaded border, reading ΒΑϹΙΛΕΩϹ ϹΑΥΡΟΜΑΤΟΥ (of King Sauromates), running from upper right around the left field. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | 411 (115 AD) - ΑΙΥ |
| Additional information |
Sauromates I ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client of Rome, and this stater — struck during Trajan's reign — reflects that dependency precisely. The Bosporan kings maintained their throne largely through Roman goodwill, and the coinage made that relationship explicit in metal. Trajan's campaigns against Dacia and later Parthia kept Roman attention fixed elsewhere, but the Bosporan court understood that visible loyalty was the price of autonomy.
By this period, Bosporan gold staters had been declining in fineness for generations. Sauromates I's issues buck that trend only marginally.