Persian and Greek tributes paid

Mithradates IV was ruler of the Hellenistic kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 169-150BC. He ushered in a period of relative friendship with the Roman republic that would continue until his grandson Mithradates VI (the Great) became its most formidable and determined opponent. Mithradates IV’s coinage draws attention to his Persian and Greek origins.

A tetradrachm of Mithradates IV, £44,000 at Roma Numismatics.

12 Feb 2024

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This silver tetradrachm, graded ‘good, exceedingly fine’, shows Mithradates in his pomp wearing a diadem, while to the verso is Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa in one hand and a harp in the other.

The subject was deliberately chosen as Perseus was both a Greek and an Assyrian hero. One of only four tetradrachms of Mithradates IV to appear at auction in the past two decades, this example offered at Roma Numismatics is a rare die type. It sold for £44,000 (plus 22.5% buyer’s premium) on July 5.