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Tetradrachm - Nikomedes IV Philopator
| Issuer | Kings of Bithynia |
|---|---|
| Year | 93 BC - 74 BC |
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| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of Nikomedes IV Philopator facing right, rendered in fine Hellenistic portraiture style. The king's curly hair is elaborately rendered with tightly wound locks swept back from the forehead, secured by a royal diadem whose ends fall behind the neck. The facial features are sharply articulated, with a prominent aquiline nose, strong jaw, and well-defined cheekbone, conveying regal authority. The neck is bare and the bust truncated, set against a broad, unadorned field within an irregular flan typical of late Hellenistic hammered coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Nikomedes IV was Bithynia's last king. When he died in 74 BC without an heir, he bequeathed his kingdom directly to Rome — a decision, likely made under duress from Roman creditors and political pressure, that triggered the Third Mithridatic War almost immediately. Mithridates VI of Pontus invaded the newly inherited Roman province before the ink was dry, beginning a conflict that would drag on until 63 BC.
Tetradrachms of this reign follow the posthumous Lysimachos tradition long favored by Bithynian kings as a mark of Hellenistic legitimacy. The BMC Greek 1 reference places this among the earliest die groupings of the reign.