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Coin of the Month

April 2025: Royal Image, Imperial Message: The Gold Stater of Rhescuporis I

The Coin of this Month is presented by Michał Halamus, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland


The Coin of the Month is a gold stater struck by the Bosporan king Rhescuporis I, who ruled from 69 to 92/3 CE. It presents an intriguing example of coinage issued by a Roman client king, a type that differs markedly from the gold coinage issued by Rhescuporis’s predecessors and by Rhescuporis himself in earlier years.

At first glance, this carefully crafted specimen follows the patterns known from the coins of other client rulers. On the obverse, we see a draped and diademed bust of the king with long hair, a delicate beard, and a moustache—a portrait that reflects local aesthetic trends. The legend reads: ΒΑϹΙΛΕΩϹ ΡΗϹΚΟΥΠΟΡΙΔΟϹ (“[Coin] of King Rhescuporis”).

The reverse depicts the laureate head of Emperor Domitian—an identification on which all scholars agree. Beneath the portrait appears the date according to the local Bosporan era: ZOT (377), corresponding to 80–81 CE. This chronological system was introduced by Mithridates VI Eupator, based on the Pontic era. The Bosporan year ended in late September and began in early October. Therefore, the date on this coin corresponds roughly to the period from early October 80 CE to late September 81 CE.

Since the late 1st century BCE, Bosporan gold coins had typically featured imperial portraits (emperors and members of the imperial family) on both obverse and reverse. The only reference to the reigning local king was a monogram on the reverse, placed alongside the date. For instance, in the staters of Rhescuporis I from 68/9 to 78/9 CE, the obverse displayed the head of Vespasian, and the reverse showed the head of Titus, accompanied by the royal monogram ΒΑΡΗ and the date.

Thus, this new coin type issued by Rhescuporis marks a significant departure from the established model, signalling a major shift in propagandistic messaging. The former monogram has been replaced by a full legend bearing the king’s name and his portrait, now prominently placed on the obverse.

This change is particularly striking given that, during the final years of Nero’s reign in the 60s CE, the minting of royal gold coinage in the Bosporan Kingdom ceased altogether. In 63 and 64 CE, gold staters were issued bearing the emperor’s monogram (Anokhin 2011, 206, nos. 1454 and 1455). Scholars believe that during this period—until the death of Ahenobarbus—the Bosporan Kingdom was either incorporated into the Roman provincial system or was undergoing a transitional phase leading to such incorporation (e.g. Gajdukevič 1971, 345-346; Anokhin 1999, 143; Bjerg 2013, 191-192). However, with the accession of Vespasian, these plans appear to have been abandoned, and Rhescuporis was allowed to inherit the throne from his father, Cotys I.

Some scholars have interpreted this bold assertion of royal authority on gold coinage as a sign of growing political autonomy from Rome (cf. Gajdukevič 1971, 348). Nevertheless, it is important to note that no other sources indicate any hostility toward the Empire. On the contrary, inscriptions from the reign of Rhescuporis—as well as certain contemporary bronze issues—emphasize his role as a loyal friend of Rome and the emperor (e.g. RPC I 469 and 476; Anokhin 2011, 210, no. 1482). They even underscore his position as a lifelong priest of the imperial cult, employing this status as a key element of dynastic legitimacy (e.g. CIRB 70, 76, 986, 1047, 1118).

As already mentioned, the featured coin was issued in Bosporan year 377, which corresponds to no later than early October 81 CE. This is particularly noteworthy, as Emperor Titus died after a brief illness on September 13 of that same year, and was immediately succeeded by Domitian. This leaves very little time for the introduction of a new and strikingly innovative coin type. Could Rhescuporis have dared to implement such a change without imperial approval?

The mystery deepens when we consider that no coins dated to the previous year, 376 (79/80 CE), have been discovered. It is possible that after Vespasian’s death and Titus’s accession in 79 CE, Vespasian's strict monetary policies were relaxed. Thus, it is entirely plausible that Rhescuporis made the decision to introduce a new coin type earlier than 81 CE, in tandem with a more lenient imperial policy under Titus (cf. MacDonald 2005, 69; Bjerg 2013, 192). 


Literature

Anokhin 1999: В.A. Анохин, История Боспора Киммерийского. Киев.
Anokhin 2011; B. A. Анохин, Античные монеты Северного Причерноморья. Киев.

Bjerg 2013: L.M.B. Højberg Bjerg, Money, Power and Communication, Coin Circulation in the Bosporan Kingdom in the Roman Period. Wetteren.

Gajdukevič 1971:  V.F. Gajdukevič, Das Bosporanische Reich. Berlin.

MacDonald 2005: D. MacDonald, An Introduction to the History and Coinage of the Kingdom of the Bosporus. Lancaster & London.



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