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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Anatolia| ▸ |Bithynia||View Options:  |  |  | 

Bithynia

The kingdom of Bithynia held a considerable place among the minor monarchies of Anatolia. The coins of the Bithynian kings depict their regal portraits in a highly accomplished Hellenistic style. Nicomedes IV, the last king of Bithynia, was defeated by Mithridates VI of Pontus, and, after being restored to his throne by the Roman Senate, bequeathed his kingdom by will to the Roman Republic in 74 B.C. Under Rome, the boundaries of Bithynia frequently varied and it was sometimes united with Pontus. For securing communications with the eastern provinces, the monumental Bridge across the river Sangarius was constructed around 562 AD. Troops frequently wintered at Nicomedia. The most important cities were Nicomedia, founded by Nicomedes, and Nicaea. The two had a long rivalry with one another over which city held the rank of capital. At a much earlier period the Greeks had established on the coast the colonies of Cius (modern Gemlik); Chalcedon (modern Kadiköy), at the entrance of the Bosporus, nearly opposite Byzantium (modern Istanbul) and Heraclea Pontica (modern Karadeniz Eregli), on the Euxine, about 190 km east of the Bosporus.

Julia Mamaea, Augusta, 222 – 235 A.D., Nicomedia, Bithynia

|Bithynia|, |Julia| |Mamaea,| |Augusta,| |222| |–| |235| |A.D.,| |Nicomedia,| |Bithynia||assarion|
The referenced coin, RPC Online VI T3432 = Rec Gén 334, is the only known specimen of this type and RPC notes, "Tooled, likely not belonging to Nicomedia." The present coin confirms attribution to Nicomedia. Furthermore, this type for Julia Mamaea nicely complements the Severus Alexander issue with the same reverse (RPC Online VI T3435).
RP113006. Bronze assarion, RPC Online VI T3432 corr. (legends), Rec Gén 334 corr. (same), F, green patina, weight 3.540 g, maximum diameter 18.4 mm, die axis 210o, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, group 1b, 222 – 235 A.D.; obverse IOVΛIA MΑMAIA CEBAC, draped bust right; reverse NIKOMHΔEΩN ΔIC NEΩKOPΩN, veiled and draped bust of Demeter right, wearing stephane, stalks of grain before her; 2nd known and the best of the type known to FORVM; extremely rare!; $180.00 (€169.20)
 


Antoninus Pius, August 138 - 7 March 161 A.D., Nicaea, Bithynia

|Bithynia|, |Antoninus| |Pius,| |August| |138| |-| |7| |March| |161| |A.D.,| |Nicaea,| |Bithynia||hemiassarion|
According to myth, Hermes and Dionysos were sons of Zeus, but Hermes' mother was the princess Semele and Dionysos' mother was the minor goddess Maia. To protect the infant Dionysos from his wife Hera, Zeus entrusted him to Hermes, who together with a band of nymphs, hid the child near Mt. Nysa in Anatolia.
RP111796. Bronze hemiassarion, RPC Online IV 5875 (3 spec.); Rec Gen 79; SNG Cop 480 corr. (obv. leg., M. Aurelius), aVF, dark and earthen patina, weight 4.044 g, maximum diameter 19.2 mm, die axis 180o, Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) mint, obverse AVT KAICAP ANTΩNINOC, laureate head right; reverse NIKAIEΩN, Infant Dionysos seated right in cradle, extending both arms, thyrsus in cradle behind (not visible); Coin Archives records only one specimen of the type at auction in the last two decades; very rare; $135.00 (€126.90)
 


Antoninus Pius, August 138 - 7 March 161 A.D., Nicaea, Bithynia

|Bithynia|, |Antoninus| |Pius,| |August| |138| |-| |7| |March| |161| |A.D.,| |Nicaea,| |Bithynia||AE| |17|
Nicaea remained an important town throughout the imperial period. Although only 70 km (43 miles) from Constantinople, Nicaea did not lose its importance when Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Empire. The city suffered from earthquakes in 358, 362 and 368; after the last of which, it was restored by Valens. During the Middle Ages, it was a long time bulwark of the Byzantine emperors against the Turks.
RP113281. Bronze AE 17, apparently unpublished variant; RIC IV.1 T5889 var. (obv. leg.); SNG Cop 474 (same); Rec Gén 95.2, pl. LXIX.2 (rev. only) (same), VF, rev. off centered, porosity, light marks, clay-rich sediments, weight 3.752 g, maximum diameter 19.5 mm, Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) mint, 138 - 161 A.D.; obverse AVT KAIC ANTΩNINO-C, Bare head right; reverse NEIKA-IEΩN, Hygieia standing right, feeding serpent in her arms from patera in right hand; extremely rare; $110.00 (€103.40)
 


Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Nicaea, Bithynia

|Bithynia|, |Claudius,| |25| |January| |41| |-| |13| |October| |54| |A.D.,| |Nicaea,| |Bithynia||AE| |24|
In Recueil Général des Monnaies Grecques d'Asie Mineure (1910), the present coin type was indifferently lumped together with a larger denomination (i.e. both placed under Rec. Gen. 22). Aside from its heavier weight and larger size, the latter can also be identified by Claudius' laureate head and the oak wreath on the reverse, both features of which are shared with an even heftier denomination of the same designs (Rec. Gen 23). This apparently lead to confusion in drafting SNG von Aulock, since they describe the portrait on their coin as laureate, but the plate coin is bare-headed. The editors of RPC I did a much better job of sorting out all three denominations, but curiously remained silent on distinguishing the oak wreath from laurel wreath on the reverse.
ME113256. Brass AE 24, RPC Online I 2045 (12 spec.); SNG Cop 469; Rec Gen 22 (see notes); SNGvA 737 corr. (laureate head), F/aF, attractive portrait for the grade, nice patina with pleasant contrasts, rev. weakly struck, weight 6.499 g, maximum diameter 24.1 mm, die axis 180o, Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) mint, c. 48 - 49 A.D.; obverse TI KΛAYΔIOΣ KAIΣAP ΣEBAΣTOΣ ΓEPMANIKOΣ, bare head left; reverse Λ MINΔIOΣ / BAΛBOΣ AN/ΘYΠATOC (L Mindius Balbus proconsul) in three lines, (NEIKAIA monogram) below, all within laurel wreath; rare; $100.00 (€94.00)
 


Dia, Bithynia, 85 - 65 B.C.

|Bithynia|, |Dia,| |Bithynia,| |85| |-| |65| |B.C.||AE| |21|
Dia, also Diospolis, was a port city of ancient Bithynia on the Pontus Euxinus in Asia Minor. Marcian of Heraclea places it 60 stadia east of the mouth of the Hypius, which river is between the Sangarius River and Heraclea Pontica. Its site is located near Akcakoca in Asiatic Turkey.
GB113204. Bronze AE 21, cf. SNG Stancomb 807; SNGvA 347; Callata˙ pl. XLIX, B; Rec Gen p. 342, 3; HGC 7 453 (S), VF, dark green patina, light earthen deposits, rev. off center, weight 7.878 g, maximum diameter 20.8 mm, die axis 0o, Bithynia, Dia (near Akcakoca, Turkey) mint, under Mithradates VI of Pontos, 85 - 65 B.C.; obverse laureate, bearded head of Zeus right; reverse eagle standing left on fulmen (thunderbolt), head right, wings open, monograms left and right, ΔIAΣ below; from the Michael Arslan Collection; $70.00 (€65.80)
 


Caracalla, 28 January 198 - 8 April 217 A.D., Nicomedia, Bithynia

|Bithynia|, |Caracalla,| |28| |January| |198| |-| |8| |April| |217| |A.D.,| |Nicomedia,| |Bithynia||AE| |17|
Nicomedia was the Roman metropolis of Bithynia. Diocletian made it the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in 286 when he introduced the Tetrarchy system. Nicomedia remained the eastern (and most senior) capital of the Empire until co-emperor Licinius was defeated by Constantine the Great at the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324. Constantine resided mainly in Nicomedia as his interim capital for the next six years, until in 330 when he declared nearby Byzantium (renamed Constantinople) the new capital. Constantine died in his royal villa near Nicomedia in 337. Due to its position at the convergence of the Asiatic roads leading to the new capital, Nicomedia retained its importance even after the foundation of Constantinople.
RP113203. Bronze AE 17, Rec Gen II p. 547, 243, SNG Cop -, SNGvA -, BMC Bithynia -, RPC Online -, aVF, dark patina, scratches, holed, weight 3.213 g, maximum diameter 16.7 mm, die axis 180o, Nikomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, c. 198 - 206 A.D.; obverse AV K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC AV (final AV ligate), CEB below bust, laureate and draped bust right; reverse METPOΠ NEIKOM ΔI,C NEΩ (last four letters in exergue), Apis bull right; from the Michael Arslan Collection; ex Bucephalus Numismatics auction 19 (6 May 2023), lot 374; rare; $50.00 (€47.00)
 


Kingdom of Bithynia, Nikomedes II Epiphanes, 149 - 128 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia|, |Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia,| |Nikomedes| |II| |Epiphanes,| |149| |-| |128| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Nikomedes II accompanied his father, Prusias II, to Rome in 167 B.C., where he was brought up under the care of the Senate. His father, favoring a younger sibling for succession, decided to assassinate him. But Nikomedes discovered the plot, seized the throne and put his father to death. He remained faithful to Rome, assisting in the war with Attalus, king of Pergamus in 131 B.C.
SH14038. Silver tetradrachm, SGCV II 7273; BMC Pontus p. 213, 1; SNG Cop 646 var.; SNGvA 261 var.; Rec Gen II.3 pl. 32, 7, Choice EF, weight 16.631 g, maximum diameter 39.7 mm, die axis 0o, Nikomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, 149 - 148 B.C.; obverse diademed head right; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ EΠIΦANOYΣ NIKOMHΔOY, Zeus standing left, wreath in right hand, scepter in left, in inner left field eagle on thunderbolt over monogram and NP (year 150); huge broad flan; SOLD


Kingdom of Bithynia, Nikomedes II Epiphanes, 149 - 128 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia|, |Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia,| |Nikomedes| |II| |Epiphanes,| |149| |-| |128| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Nikomedes II accompanied his father, Prusias II, to Rome in 167 B.C., where he was brought up under the care of the Senate. His father, favoring a younger sibling for succession, decided to assassinate him. But Nikomedes discovered the plot, seized the throne and put his father to death. He remained faithful to Rome, assisting in the war with Attalus, king of Pergamus in 131 B.C.
SH10961. Silver tetradrachm, SGCV II 7273; SNGvA 261; Waddington I pl. 32, 8; BMC Pontus p. 213, 2 var.; SNG Cop 646 var., gVF, toned, weight 16.540 g, maximum diameter 37.4 mm, die axis 0o, Nikomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, 143 - 143 B.C.; obverse diademed head right; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ EΠIΦANOYΣ NIKOMHΔOY, Zeus standing left, wreath in right hand, scepter in left, in inner left field eagle on thunderbolt over monogram and NPC (year 156); ex Realms; SOLD


Kingdom of Bithynia, Prusias I Cholos, 228 - 185 B.C.

|Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia|, |Kingdom| |of| |Bithynia,| |Prusias| |I| |Cholos,| |228| |-| |185| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Prusias I, son of Ziaelas, and grandson of Nikomedes I. The Bithynian Kingdom reached its zenith under his reign. He was an enlightened and courageous ruler who managed to maintain the prosperity of his realm at a time of great political turmoil in Asia Minor. -- Greek Coins and Their Values, by David R. Sear
SH14039. Silver tetradrachm, SGCV II 7259; BMC Pontus p. 209, 1; SNG Cop 623v; SNGvA 244v, nice VF, weight 16.740 g, maximum diameter 34.1 mm, die axis 0o, Nikomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, obverse his diademed head right with whiskers; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠPOYΣIOY, Zeus standing left, scepter in left, crowning King's name with right, thunderbolt and monogram inner left field; exceptional figure of Zeus; SOLD


Bithynia, likely Prusias, reign of Domitian, 81 - 96 A.D.

|H.| |Agndal| |Countermarks|, |Bithynia,| |likely| |Prusias,| |reign| |of| |Domitian,| |81| |-| |96| |A.D.||AE| |25|
Obverse countermarked with:

1. head of empress, in oval punch, 7 x 8 mm, Howgego 217 (1 pcs);

2. AV K TP, in rectangular punch, 6 x 4 mm, Howgego 608 (8 pcs).

Reverse countermarked with:

3. ΠPY in square punch, 7 mm, Howgego 630 (3 pcs).

All coins noted by Howgego with these countermarks are from Domitian and are attributed to Prusias or Bithynia.

Since all coins countermarked with (1) are countermarked also with (2) and (3), while all coins countermarked with (2) are also countermarked with (3), the order of application (3)-(2)-(1) may be implied (also consistent with (1) being a portrait of Faustina Jr. and (2) referring to Trajan).
RP23244. Bronze AE 25, weight 9.066 g, maximum diameter 25.3 mm, Prusias? mint, obverse laureate head right; reverse worn smooth; SOLD







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REFERENCES

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