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Tetrachalkon - Prusias I or II
| Issuer | Kings of Bithynia |
|---|---|
| Year | 230 BC - 149 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 28 mm |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΡΟΥΣΙΟΥ (Translation: King Prusias) |
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| Mintage | ND (230 BC - 149 BC) |
| Additional information |
Bithynia's royal bronze coinage occupies an awkward historiographical position — attributing specific issues to Prusias I (reigned c. 228–182 BC) or his son Prusias II (reigned 182–149 BC) remains unresolved, and the references themselves disagree. The Aulock numbers span both reigns, and Copenhagen's grouping sidesteps the question entirely. What is clear is that Prusias I built Bithynia into a genuine regional power by playing Rome and the Seleucids against each other with considerable skill, harboring Hannibal after Zama until Roman pressure forced the issue in 183 BC.
Prusias II, by contrast, earned the nickname "the Hunter" and a reputation for servility toward Rome that ultimately destroyed him — assassinated by his own son Nicomedes in 149 BC.