Description: Pontus, Amisos. AE Tetrachalkon (100-85 BCE)
Obverse: Helmeted head of Ares, facing right. Reverse: Upright sword in scabbard with shoulder strap, dividing the legend; an eight-rayed star on a crescent at the top left; a monogram in the lower left field; Greek inscription AMI ΣOY ("Amisos").
History: Amisos, a major city on the southern coast of the Black Sea, was an important Greek colony and trade hub in Pontus. It is now Samsun in modern-day Turkey. By the 1st century BCE, it had become a key stronghold for Mithridates VI Eupator, the formidable king of Pontus, known for his prolonged resistance against Roman expansion during the Mithridatic Wars (88–63 BCE). This bronze tetrachalkon was minted under his rule, reflecting both his military ideology and cultural ties to the Greek world.
The obverse features Ares, the god of war, emphasizing military strength, conquest, and defiance, traits that Mithridates sought to embody as he waged war against Rome. Ares symbolizes raw aggression and battle prowess, unlike Athena who represents strategic warfare.
The sword on the reverse is a clear military symbol while the eight-rayed star above the crescent is a well-known royal emblem of Pontus. This celestial imagery may also hint at divine favor or protection for Mithridates’ reign.
