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Tetradrachm - Mithridates VI Eupator Pergamon; IΣ I
| Issuer | Kings of Pontos |
|---|---|
| Year | 210 (87 BC) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Pegasus, the winged horse, shown grazing left with head lowered to the ground and wings folded along the body, rendered in fine Hellenistic style. To the left in the field appears the distinctive Pontic royal badge of a star within a crescent. To the right of Pegasus, the regnal year IΣ (year 16) is inscribed above a monogram. In the exergue, the letter I denotes the month of issue. The entire reverse type is enclosed within a Dionysiac wreath composed of ivy leaves and clusters of fruit, a characteristic framing device of Mithradatic coinage. The encircling legend BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY EYΠATOPOΣ proclaims the issuer as King Mithradates Eupator. |
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| Reverse lettering | BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY EYΠATOPOΣ IΣ I |
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| Additional information |
Mithridates VI struck these tetradrachms at Pergamon following his seizure of the city in 88 BC, using the Attic weight standard and the civic infrastructure of what had until recently been the capital of a Roman province. The dating system employed — the Pontic era beginning in 297 BC — places year IΣ (year 210) squarely in 87 BC, during the First Mithridatic War, when Mithridates controlled most of western Asia Minor and Rome's grip on the region had temporarily collapsed.
Callataÿ's die studies demonstrated that Mithridatic silver output during this period was substantial, likely funded by accumulated Pergamene treasury reserves.