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Stater - Sauromates II Septimius Severus
| Issuer | Bosporan Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 202 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ΒΑϹΙΛΕωϹ ϹΑΥΡΟΜΑΤΟΥ (Translation: [coin] of King Sauromates) |
| Reverse description | Laureate and draped bust of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus facing right, with a short curled beard rendered in a Roman imperial portrait style. To the right of the bust stands a prominent trident, serving as a mint or date symbol. The Greek date numeral ΗϘΥ (498 of the Bosporan era, corresponding to 202 AD) is inscribed in the lower field below the portrait, all within a dotted border. |
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| Additional information |
Sauromates II ruled the Bosporan Kingdom as a client king under Roman oversight, and this stater was struck in the year corresponding to 202 AD, when Septimius Severus was consolidating his dynasty following his victory in the civil wars against Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. The pairing of the local dynast with the reigning emperor on Bosporan electrum coinage was a deliberate political statement of subordination — the kingdom's autonomy depended entirely on Roman goodwill, and the coinage made that dependency visible in every transaction.
By this period the electrum had degraded significantly from the near-pure gold of earlier Bosporan staters, with gold content running well below 50%.