AMAZING HOARD OF ANCIENT ROMAN DENARI
Due to a fo rtunate purchase by the Jonathan K. Ke rn Co. ancient department, we can
n ow offer again our ve ry popular Roman Empire Denarii port rait gallery. These ancient
Roman silver Denarii (singular Denarius) were stru ck during the height of the Roman
Empire from AD 69 to 235. The Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, from
Morocco to Poland, from Germ a ny to Egypt, and the Mediterranean was known as the
"Roman Lake." It was an empire like the wo rld had never known and has not known since.
D o zens of aspiring generals and tyrants like Justinian, Charl e m a g n e, Napoleon, and Hitler
t ried and failed to recreate the Roman Empire. All roads lead to Rome. When in Rome do
as the Romans do. About eve ry third word in the English language had its start in Roman
L a t i n . L i b e rty on U. S. coins is usually shown we a ring or holding a Liberty cap which the
Romans used to designate a free person. The Mercury Head Dime is named after the
Roman messenger god. The fasces on the reverse is a symbol of Roman justice. T h e
Roman Empire was the birth culture of the Christian religion. All one has to do is visit
m o d e rn Rome now and look at the Colosseum built by Vespasian, the triumphal arch of
T i t u s, Tra j a n 's Column, and the Fo rum of Tra j a n . These are 2,000 year old ruins which
represent only a small fraction of the awe inspiring grandeur of this amazing civilization.
The ave rage weight is about 3.5 grams of good silve r. T h ey were hand stru ck with the
r everse die embedded in an " a nv i l " of log cross section, and the obverse die was held and
s t ru ck with a hand sledge hammer. These silver jewels were stru ck in massive quantities to
fuel the economic needs of a vast thriving empire, and indeed, as this hoard demonstra t e s,
the oldest Denarii in the hoard passed from hand to hand for over 125 years before being
bu ri e d .T h ey were stru ck by hand engraved dies by skilled artists known as celators. T h e
p o rt raits of all the different Roman emperors and their family members are like a port ra i t
g a l l e ry of miniature silver bu s t s, or like a precious metal three-dimensional photo albu m .
The reverse dies were also carefully engraved, usually to depict all the gods, goddesses,
h e r o e s, and nymphs of Roman my t h o l o g y. Other reverses commemorated military victori e s,
religious or political eve n t s, or just plain propaganda.
The silver Denarius was also the power base by which Roman emperors maintained the
l oyalty of their legions. These paid professional legionnaires, though proud to be part of the
Roman army, were just as happy serving a ri val claimant to the Imperial Purple if he
happened to have a more generous war chest ove r f l owing with Denari i . All through the
reigns of Nerva and all the other Adoptive Emperors, the standard pay of the legionnaire
was 300 Denarii a ye a r.
Just by handling these treasures of the past one can almost hear the drums giving a
cadence to the tromp of the Legion's advance and the trumpets signaling the charge
against the enemy lines! But after the battles were over and the paymaster had distri bu t e d
the Denarii to the surviving legions, what happened then? For a Denarius a Roman could
buy 12 large loaves of bread, or 24 small loave s. A serving of table wine (probably wa t e r e d ,
which was acceptable) cost an As, or 1/16 of a Denari u s. Vintage wine cost 1/4 a Denari u s
a serv i n g . In the Holy Land an amphora of olive oil from the Galilee cost one Denari u s. A
bunch of grapes or 10 figs cost an As, or 1/16 of a Denari u s. An ox sold for 100 Denari i ,
and a calf 20 Denarii, and a ram 8 Denarii, and 5 sparrows cost 1/8 Denari u s. It could cost
a trader 10,000 Denarii to lease a ship (galley ) . A scri b e, a highly educated man, earned 12
D e n a rii a we e k . He ate and drank for 4 Denarii a week, and his clothing also cost 4 Denari i
a week (he must have dressed quite well because a commoner could buy sack c l o t h
clothing which would last years for only 4 Denari i ) .
The Flavian Dynasty
AD 69 to 96
In AD 68, Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors, committed suicide in the face of
widespread rebellion. In quick succession, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius acceded to the throne,
only to be deposed. The " year of four emperors," AD 69, ended with victory for the armies of
Ve s p a s i a n . A career soldier and general under Nero, Vespasian had been dispatched in AD
66 to quell the First Revolt in Ju d a e a . He returned to Rome after the fall of Nero and wa s
proclaimed emperor by his troops. D e feating Vitellius left him the sole ruler of the wo rl d 's
most organized empire. Vespasian left his son Titus to continue the conquest of Ju d a e a ,
and Jerusalem was captured in AD 70.
Vespasian ruled the Roman Empire wisely until his death in AD 79. The pri n c i p a l
a r c h i t e c t u ral legacy of his reign is the Colosseum, which he began and which wa s
completed by his sons, Titus and Domitian. The arch of T i t u s, which still stands today near
the Colosseum, celebrates his victories in Ju d a e a . One carved relief on the arch depicts the
golden Menorah, looted from the temple in Jerusalem, being paraded through the streets of
Rome in the victory procession of T i t u s. K n own as "the darling of all mankind" Titus reaped
p o p u l a rity with the Roman public with his gifts to the masses. The Roman emperorship
managed an ancient we l fare system to keep the teeming populace placated. Bread and
c i r c u s e s : the ancient equivalent of food stamps and T V. If the grain ships from Egypt we r e
d e l ayed or sunk, riots became more like l y. The entertainment included chariot ra c e s,
g l a d i a t o rial combat in the arena with men and wild beasts, and executions of va ri o u s
enemies of the state. One of the most famous disasters of antiquity occurred in AD 79 when
M t . Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Upon the early death of Titus in AD 81, his younger brother Domitian assumed the
t h r o n e. Apparently an able administra t o r, the Roman Empire flourished under his control. A s
the years passed, howeve r, he became increasingly paranoid and vicious. He acquired a
personal reputation for cruelty and was a swo rn enemy of the Senate. The Senate, although
usually a ru bber stamp organization of the emperor, still reflected the old beliefs of the
R e p u bl i c, and many respected and powerful families of the empire wielded great influence
t h e r e. In AD 96 a conspiracy including his wife and closest aides assassinated him, ending
the Flavian dynasty. The Senate chose Nerva, one of their elderly but respected members,
to succeed to the throne.
The Adoptive Emperors:
Accession by Merit
Wise and ex p e rienced in Roman politics, Nerva adopted the general Trajan to succeed
h i m . This choice to fill the position of Caesar, or heir to the throne, secured the immediate
s u p p o rt of Tra j a n 's legions, and as history tells, was a ve ry good choice, because Trajan led
the Roman Empire to its zenith in ex p a n s e, power and prosperi t y. The adoption of Trajan set
a precedent fo l l owed by him and his three successors. The English historian Edwa r d
G i bbons termed this period of Adoptive Emperors the "happiest age in history."
Under Trajan, the Roman Empire underwent its last significant terri t o rial ex p a n s i o n . A f t e r
t wo campaigns (AD 101-102 and 105-106), Trajan annexed the Kingdom of the Dacians
( m o d e rn Romania). In the Fo rum of Rome there still stands the awe - i n s p i ring Column of
Trajan depicting the military campaign against the Dacians in detail as over 2,500 figures
s p i ral upward around the 125 foot height. In AD 105, the Kingdom of the Nabataeans wa s
c o nve rted into the Roman province of Arabia Pe t ra e a . In AD 114, a dispute with Pa rthia led
Trajan to annex Armenia and invade Mesopotamia. In AD 116, Mesopotamia was declared
a Roman prov i n c e. H oweve r, rebellions in the east, including those of the Jew s, fo r c e d
Trajan to retreat. He died in AD 117 before he could resume campaigning in the east.
B e fore his death, Trajan named his adopted son Hadrian as his heir.
The reign of Hadrian was one of consolidation. The new emperor gave up Tra j a n 's
e a s t e rn conquests -- Armenia regained its fo rmer status as a Roman vassal state. O t h e r
frontiers were strengthened. In Britain, the wall he built to defend against the Scottish tri b e s
is still to be seen. H a d rian spent most of his reign outside of Italy, touring the provinces to
see first-hand what were each terri t o ry 's needs. H a d rian married a grand niece of Tra j a n 's
named Sabina, but they had no children, so in AD 136, Hadrian adopted a certain L.
Ceionius Commodus, who took the name Aelius Caesar, as his son and heir. H oweve r, the
death of Aelius in AD 138 compelled Hadrian to designate a new heir, Antoninu s. In turn ,
H a d rian compelled Antoninus to adopt Lucius Ve ru s, the son of Aelius, and a nephew of
A n t o n i nu s, Marcus Annius Ve ru s, renamed Marcus Au r e l i u s. H a d rian died later that same
ye a r.
The reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) was notable chiefly for its tra n q u i l i t y, although
in Britain a new defe n s i ve line north of Hadri a n 's Wall was built to keep the Scottish tri b e s
f u rther at bay. His wife, Faustina Senior, died in AD 141, so the vast majority of her coinage
was commemora t i ve in nature. Also notable was the long apprenticeship of Marcus
Au r e l i u s, who was named Caesar in AD 139. He married a daughter of Antoninus Pius and
Faustina in AD 145. She is known to history as Faustina Ju n i o r. By the time of the death of
A n t o n i nus in AD 161, Marcus was thoroughly prepared to assume the burdens of office. A s
it turned out, they would prove to be considera bl e.
Upon his accession, Marcus Aurelius elevated his adoptive brother, Lucius Ve ru s, to the
position of co-emperor. M a r c u s, howeve r, was clearly the supreme authori t y. Lucius marri e d
the eldest daughter, Lucilla, of Marcus and Faustina Junior in AD 164. Marcus was to spend
much of his reign on campaign. I nvasions of German tribes from the north and of Pa rt h i a n s
from the east bedeviled the empire. P l a g u e, brought back from the east by the army in AD
166, swept the empire (a second wave of plague carried Lucius Ve rus away in AD 169).
Despite these shock s, Marcus was able to restore order on the eastern frontier and wa s
poised to annex terri t o ries on the nort h e rn frontier at the time of his death in AD 180.
Marcus was succeeded by his son Commodus, thus breaking the pattern of succession
through adoption, and with the accession, Rome's greatest era came to an end.
Commodus proved to be a despot who became quite insane. Commodus thought he wa s
the god Hercules, and he is depicted as Hercules on a number of his coins. He would enter
the arena himself to fight gladiators and wild beasts. There were seve ral plots against him,
one of which invo l ved his sister Lucilla, whom he put to death. C o m m o d u s ' w i fe Cri s p i n a
was banished early in his reign and later exe c u t e d . Commodus was eve n t u a l l y
assassinated Dec. 31, AD 192, and the Roman Empire entered an era of anarchy.
441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
To order, call 859-269-1614
JONATHAN K. KERN
ROMAN REPUBLIC THE FIRST DENARIUS
3.8 grams of good silver. Usually Roma, Apollo, Jupiter, Juno, Venus or Hercules
portraits. Usually chariot reverse. 211-44 B.C. Up to 20 different designs and
moneyers available.
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
27.
57.
107.
177.
--
THE IMPERATORS
Sulla, Scipio, Pompey, Brutus, Cassius, and Marc Anthony. Call for availability.
THE TWELVE CAESARS
The Twelve Caesars. After Julius Caesar the word Caesar became the title
of the heir to the Roman throne. Octavian, the nephew of Julius, took the
title Augustus as a name. H e n c e fo rth the supreme title of power in the
empire was the accolade Augustus.
Poor
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Julius Caesar portrait c. 44 BC ..
177.
377.
677.
1277.
--
--
Venus portrait, 49-44 BC .....
87.
147.
197.
377.
577.
--
Augustus 31 BC-14 AD..............
--
97.
137.
177.
277.
497.
Tiberius 14-37 AD ......................
--
127.
177.
297.
397.
--
Caligula 37-41 AD......................
--
--
--
2277.
3777.
--
Claudius 41-54 AD.....................
--
377.
--
2277.
3777.
--
Nero 54-68 AD ...........................
47.
117.
247.
550.
975.
--
Galba 68-69 AD .........................
77.
147.
377.
775.
1775.
--
Otho 69 AD ................................
197.
377.
775.
1775.
2700.
--
Vitellius 69 AD ...........................
47.
97.
375.
--
--
--
Vespasian 69-79 AD ..................
--
27.
47.
97.
225.
377.
Titus, his son, as Caesar 69-79 AD
27.
37.
67.
277.
477.
--
Titus as Augustus 79-81 AD ......
27.
37.
67.
177.
377.
775.
Julia Titi, his daughter ................
377.
--
777.
--
--
--
Domitian, second son as Caesar
under Vespasian 69-79 AD ..
--
27.
57.
127.
277.
--
Domitian, as Caesar under his
brother Titus 79-81 AD ........
--
27.
77.
177.
377.
--
Domitian as Augustus 81-96 AD
--
27.
37.
67.
127.
277.
THE ADOPTIVE EMPERORS, and FAMILIES
G+
Fine
VF
EF
Abt. Unc.
Nerva 96-98 AD.............................
37.
77.
227.
377.
1775.
Trajan 98-117 AD...........................
19.
27.
57.
97.
297.
Dacian War commemoratives .
27.
47.
77.
127.
--
Trajan's Column in the Forum........
47.
117.
197.
--
--
Hadrian 177-138 AD......................
19.
33.
67.
127.
297.
Hadrian, posthumous ...................
--
--
877.
--
--
Sabina, Hadrian's wife ...................
39.
67.
157.
277.
--
Sabina, posthumous......................
--
177.
--
--
--
Aelius, as Caesar 136-138 AD ......
--
--
277.
477.
--
Antoninus Pius as Caesar 138 AD
37.
77.
177.
377.
--
as Augustus 138-161 AD ........
19.
29.
47.
77.
177.
posthumous, by Aurelius .........
29.
37.
57.
87.
147.
Faustina Senior, his wife, during
her lifetime, died 141 AD .........
--
37.
77.
197.
377.
Faustina Senior, posthumous ........
19.
29.
47.
77.
177.
Marcus Aurelius as Caesar
under Pius 139-161 AD...........
19.
37.
67.
97.
197.
as Augustus 161-180 AD ........
19.
37.
57.
77.
197.
posthumous, by Commodus....
27.
47.
77.
127.
--
Faustina Junior, wife of Aurelius ....
19.
27.
37.
57.
177.
after her death in 175 AD ........
19.
27.
37.
57.
177.
Lucius Verus as
Augustus 161-169 AD .............
37.
57.
97.
197.
377.
posthumous by Commodus ....
37.
57.
97.
197.
--
Lucilla, wife of Lucius and
sister of Commodus ................
27.
37.
47.
67.
147.
THE ADOPTIVE EMPERORS, and FAMILIES
G+
Fine
VF
EF
Abt. Unc.
Commodus as Caesar 175-177 AD
--
77.
147.
277.
477.
co-Augustus with Aurelius .......
--
57.
97.
197.
377.
as Augustus 177-192 AD ........
27.
37.
67.
97.
277.
Insane, as Hercules ................
57.
97.
177.
377.
--
Crispina, wife of Commodus..........
37.
57.
87.
177.
377.
ASSASSINATIONS and TURMOIL
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Pertinax, 86 days in 193 AD ..........
--
--
877.
1750.
2750.
Didius Julianus, 66 days in 193 AD
--
--
1477.
--
--
Manlia Scantilla, his wife ...............
--
--
1277.
--
--
Pescennius Niger 193-194 AD
in the East ...............................
--
775.
1750.
2750.
--
Clodius Albinus, as Caesar
under Septimus Severus,
193-195 AD ................................
87.
177.
377.
577.
--
THE SEVERAN DYNASTY & MILITARY EMPERORS
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Septimus Severus 193-211 AD .....
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
posthumous by sons, 211-212 AD
--
--
--
--
297.
Julia Domna, his wife.....................
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
Caracalla, boy as Caesar 196-198 .....
--
27.
47.
97.
197.
boy as co-Augustus 198-205 AD...
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
youth as co-Augustus 205-211 AD
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
bearded, Augustus 211-217 AD ...
--
27.
37.
47.
77.
Plautilla, wife of Caracalla .............
37.
47.
67.
97.
177.
Geta, as Caesar 198-209 AD .........
27.
37.
47.
67.
177.
as co-Augustus 209-212 AD.....
37.
57.
77.
97.
227.
211-212 AD with full beard.......
37.
57.
87.
127.
297.
Macrinus 217-218 AD....................
47.
67.
117.
177.
477.
Diadumenian, Caesar 217-218 AD
--
--
377.
477.
777.
Elagabalus, Augustus 218-222 AD
27.
37.
47.
67.
97.
insane, with horn on head .......
27.
37.
47.
87.
147.
Julia Paula, ex-wife in 220 AD .......
47.
77.
117.
187.
277.
Julia Soaemias, his mother ...........
27.
47.
77.
117.
197.
Julia Massa, sister of Julia Domna
27.
37.
47.
77.
117.
Severus Alexander, 222-235 AD ...
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
Amazing hoard picked for luster and sharp reverse dies! Gem Unc. @ $177.00
Julia Mammaea, his mother ..........
27.
37.
47.
67.
87.
Orbiana, wife of Severus Alexander
--
--
477.
--
--
Maximinus I, Thrax 235-238 AD ....
--
27.
37.
47.
57.
Paulina, his wife.............................
--
--
--
--
977.
Maximus, as Caesar 235-238 AD..
--
--
277.
--
775.
Gordian II, Africanus 238 AD.........
--
--
--
3200.
--
Balbinus 238 AD............................
--
--
--
677.
--
Pupienus 238 AD...........................
--
--
--
--
975.
Gordian III, 238-244 AD,
(Ch. Unc. $97.) ........................
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
After Gordian the use of the denarius dwindled to nothing as the
increasingly base Double Denarius drove the good silver from
circulation.
Gallienus 253-268 AD Bronze Denarius, EF ............................................
477.
Severina, wife of Aurelian 270-275 A.D. Billion Denarius, EF ...................
277.
ARGENTEUS The Resurrected Denarius on the Good Silver
Standard of Nero Equal to Five Follies.
VF
EF
Unc.
AU
Diocletian 284-305 AD .................................
277.
377.
1277.
577.
Maximianus 286-305 AD ..............................
277.
377.
--
775.
Constantius I as Caesar 293-305 AD...........
--
377.
1277.
--
Galerius as Caesar 293-305 AD ..................
--
--
1277.
577.
ROMAN DENARII
The Single Most Important Ancient Coin Denomination
Antoninus Pius
Augustus
Diadumenian
Didius Julianus
Domitian
Hadrian
Nerva
Nero
Aquilea Severa
Claudius
Gordian II
Holy Meteorite
on parade
Commodus
as Hercules
C. 200 B.C.
Galley, beasts
and gladiators
in arena
Otho
Pescennius Niger
Sabina
Tiberius
Titus
Trajan
Macrinus
Julius Caesar
Marcus Aurelius
JONATHAN K. KERN
S
t ru ck nearly 2,100 years ago by Mithradates VI (the Great) of Po n t u s, these
wonderful and now ve ry affo r d a ble silver Te t ra d rachms and gold Staters, probabl y
represent the war chests of the Greeks in their last stand against the ex p a n d i n g
Roman wo rl d . The silver coins weigh about 16 grams on generally large diameter
flans and the gold about 8.25 grams and were stru ck at va rious Black Sea cities
held by the Greek forces of Mithra d a t e s. At first glance all the Te t ra d rachms are in
the name of Alexander the Great, whose coin designs had been kept alive for ove r
200 years by a large number of cities which had been part of his far flung empire.
The obverse features Hercules we a ring a lion's skin headdress and the reve r s e
s h ows Zeus enthroned, holding his eagle and sceptre. The continuance of coins in
the name of Alexander served a va riety of purp o s e s. These coins honored the
gods Hercules and Zeus, as well as commemorating the great Alexander himself.
L i kew i s e, the gold Staters are in the name of Ly s i m a c h o s, general of Alexander the
Great and his treasurer, and they depict the famous por t rait of the deified
A l exander as the god Ammon. The reverse honors the goddess Athena, arm o r e d
and enthroned. The metallic reputation of these widely accepted trade coins shined
through the centuri e s. There are historical accounts of these Greek cities being
surrounded by the barbari a n s. T h ey would threaten to attack if not paid their tri bu t e
in " A l ex a n d e r s." M i t h radates implemented the next use of these silver " A l ex a n d e r s "
by placing his own port rait, we a ring the lion's skin headdress of Hercules on the
o bve r s e. The gold Staters from the Tomis mint are believed by some to show
M i t h ra d a t e s ' features as the immortal Alex a n d e r. Perhaps his megalomania made
him really believe he was Hercules or Alex a n d e r, or maybe this identification with a
god and hero was simply to inspire his arm i e s.
M
i t h radates the Great, the 6th King on this name of Po n t u s, in Asia Minor,
was a flamboyant schemer, a dreamer, and a skilled surv i vor who tried to claim the
mantle of Alexander the Great and unite all Greek speaking peoples in a cru s a d e
against the rising power of Rome. M i t h ra d a t e s ' own career was the stuff of legend.
B o rn around 120 B. C., he inherited at age 11 the kingdom of Po n t u s, a small,
rather unimportant realm on the south coast of the Black Sea. H oweve r, his
ferocious mother seized powe r, forcing Mithradates and his entourage to flee to the
m o u n t a i n s. There he gr ew into a man of power and insatiable appetites. H e
r e c e i ved an advanced Greek education and could speak 25 languages. He wa s
also a large, exceptionally strong, and skilled wa r ri o r. To thwa rt assassins he took
m i nute doses of poisons daily to build up immu n i t i e s. At age 18 he returned to
Po n t u s, launched a counter coup and put his mother and brother to death. H e
e m b a rked on a career of conquest which brought most of the lands around the
B l a ck Sea into his domain. The coins featured from these hoards were stru ck at
the Black Sea west coast trading centers of Mesembria, Istru s, To m i s, Kallatis and
O d e s s o s.
H
is expansionist aims brought him into conflict with Rome, which had
e s t a blished a stranglehold on all commerce in the Greek East. Roman merchants
and bankers swa rmed eve rywhere and were universally detested. M i t h ra d a t e s
c o n c e i ved a vision of liberating the East from Rome and winning himself an eve n
greater empire. He prepared for war by recruiting a huge army which he unleashed
in 88 B. C. in the First Mithradatic Wa r. He began invading neighboring kingdoms
allied with the Romans, and by ordering the execution of eve ry Roman citizen in
Asia Minor, over 80,000 Italians perished in "The Night of the Ve s p e r s." M i t h ra d a t e s
crossed over from Asia Minor to T h race and south to Greece proper, calling for a
g e n e ral insurrection against Rome. Athens welcomed him as a libera t o r, but more
far-sighted Greeks realized Mithradates was as ruthless as the people he sought
to replace, and that Rome would not be easily defe a t e d . The Roman response
came in 87 B. C., led by the consul Sulla and five battle hardened legions. S u l l a
recaptured Athens and pursued Mithradates back to Asia Minor. Political discord in
Rome forced Sulla to cut short his campaign, and in 85 B. C. he settled a peace
with Mithra d a t e s. M i t h radates had to evacuate his annexed terri t o ries and return to
Po n t u s, surrender his fleet of 70 war galleys and pay a tri bute of 2,000 Ta l e n t s, or
roughly 2.75 million of these silver Te t ra d ra c h m s. Thus ended the First Mithra d a t i c
Wa r.
T
he Second Mithradatic War broke out when the Roman general Murena
i nvaded some disputed areas near Cappadocia in 83 B. C. M i t h radates soundly
d e feated Murena, and Sulla, still occupied in Rome, ordered the Romans to
w i t h d raw. Some scholars date the Te t ra d rachm hoard to 83/82 B. C. coinciding with
this campaign. M i t h radates continued rebuilding, and by 74 B. C. he had amassed
an army of 120,000 foot soldiers, 16,000 cava l ry, and countless barbari a n s, (who
p r o b a bly preferred to be paid in " A l ex a n d e r s " ) . The Third Mithradatic War sw u n g
b a ck and fo rth until Mithradates was defeated by Po m p ey the Great. An army
mu t i ny led by Mithra d a t e s ' own son, Pharn a c e s, sealed his fa t e. In 63 B. C. after he
ordered his harem of 500 slain, he attempted suicide by poison, but his immu n i t y
wo rked too well, and Mithradates died on his own swo r d . The Roman orator Cicero
called Mithradates the greatest of all kings after Alex a n d e r.
441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
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GOLD & SILVER HOARDS OF MITHRADATES VI
THE LAST GREAT HELLENISTIC KING
AND THE
ROMAN REPUBLIC'S WORST NIGHTMARE
Portrait of Mithradates as Hercules
Zeus enthroned
Odessos mint, EF $377. VF $297. VF, planchet defects as made $137.
Mesembria or Odessos mint, the traditional image of Hercules.
EF $277. VF $197. Fine $147.
GOLD STATERS
Kallatis Mint
Athena
Tomis Mint
Traditional Portrait of Alexander
Possible portait of Mithradates VI
EF or Better $877
Istrus Mint, possible portrait of Ariarathes, son of Mithradates VI, as Alexander
EF or Better $1750.
Lot special: a ny combination including 2 gold & 2 silve r, take 15% discount off total.
Free photo certificates of authenticity ava i l a ble on request for orders over $500.