Patraos was the most powerful Paeonian king of the fourth century, ruling a kingdom wedged between Macedon to the south and Thrace to the east — a position that demanded constant political calculation. These tetradrachms were struck at either Astibos or Damastion, both mining centers in a region whose silver deposits made local coinage possible independent of Macedonian control, even as Philip II and later Alexander aggressively absorbed neighboring territories. That Paeonia maintained its own royal coinage through this period is itself remarkable.
The AMNG III#1 reference places this among the foundational attributions of Paeonian numismatics, with die studies suggesting concentrated production rather than a sustained mint operation.
Patraos was the most powerful Paeonian king of the fourth century, ruling a kingdom wedged between Macedon to the south and Thrace to the east — a position that demanded constant political calculation. These tetradrachms were struck at either Astibos or Damastion, both mining centers in a region whose silver deposits made local coinage possible independent of Macedonian control, even as Philip II and later Alexander aggressively absorbed neighboring territories. That Paeonia maintained its own royal coinage through this period is itself remarkable.
The AMNG III#1 reference places this among the foundational attributions of Paeonian numismatics, with die studies suggesting concentrated production rather than a sustained mint operation.