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Stater - Sauromates II Marcus Aurelius
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom (Bosporos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 177 |
| 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 Sauromates II facing right, depicted in the Hellenistic royal tradition with a tiara-like diadem adorning the head. The portrait is rendered in a somewhat stylized manner characteristic of late Bosporan coinage, with visible drapery at the shoulder. A circular Greek legend surrounds the effigy, reading ΒΑϹΙΛΕΩϹ ϹΑΥΡΟΜAΤΟΥ (of King Sauromates), with the text distributed along the upper and lower periphery of the flan. The entire design is contained within a border of beads. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Sauromates II ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client king under Roman suzerainty, and coins of his reign make that dependency explicit in metal. The practice of coupling the local dynast's image with that of the reigning emperor was not mere flattery — it was a political obligation, a visible declaration of subordination that kept Roman military support flowing into the northern Pontic region.
By 177 AD, Marcus Aurelius was deep into the Marcomannic Wars on the Danube frontier, making Bosporan loyalty strategically valuable. These staters continued a gold coinage tradition unique to the Bosporan Kingdom, one that survived long after Rome itself had abandoned gold coin production for client states elsewhere.