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Tetrachalkon - Prusias I or II
| Issuer | Kings of Bithynia |
|---|---|
| Year | 230 BC - 149 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare laureate head of Apollo facing left, rendered in the Hellenistic style with finely detailed flowing hair swept back and secured by a laurel wreath with visible berries and leaves. The facial features are sensitively modeled with a straight nose, slightly parted lips, and a well-defined jaw. The long, wavy locks fall behind the neck in characteristic Hellenistic fashion. The portrait occupies the full field of the flan, with no visible inscription on the obverse. |
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| Reverse description | Athena-Nike, helmeted and winged, stands facing left in a dynamic pose. With her raised right hand she extends a wreath to crown the royal name in the legend, while her left hand rests upon a large round shield set at her side, the boss decorated with a gorgoneion. A monogram appears in the left field. The composition is characteristic of the royal bronze coinage of Bithynia, combining divine imagery with the glorification of the ruling dynasty. |
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| 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.