★ A beautiful portrait of Mithradates VI Eupator ★

KINGS OF PONTOS. Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 120-63 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 33 mm, 16.79 g, 11 h), Pergamon, year 224 of the Bithyno-Pontic era, 3rd month = December 74 BC. Diademed head of Mithradates VI to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ - MIΘPAΔATOY / EYΠATOPOΣ Stag grazing left; to left, star-in-crescent (Pontic royal badge) above ΔΚΣ; to right, two monograms; in exergue, Γ; all within Dionysiac wreath of ivy and fruit. Callataÿ D61/R-. SNG Copenhagen 236. SNG Delepierre 2476. A beautiful piece with a bold late Hellenistic portrait. Thin flan crack and with some doubling on the reverse , otherwise, extremely fine.

From the Argyros Collection.

This impressive tetradrachm was struck in the first year of the Third Mithridatic War (74-63 BC), when the great adversary of Rome was already in his early sixties. The King's portraits on these late issues are very much in Hellenistic tradition as they portray a youthful, energetic ruler, strongly reminiscent of Alexander 'the Great', the role model of all Greek Kings.