High quality coin sold for the first time ever at Polish auctions.
An original gold coin from the area of today's Crimea, from the 4th century BC.
Pantikapaion was founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in the late 7th century BC. Located on the western bank of the Kimmerian Bosporus, the city achieved great prosperity through the exploitation of the rich fishing grounds in the strait and the export of wheat from Crimea. This wealth is evidenced by the magnificent gold coins, the minting of which began in the middle of the 4th century BC, or the richly furnished rock tombs of the most important citizens from the same period. The city became the regional capital of the kingdom of Mithridates VI of Pontus (120-63 BC), and later the seat of the kings of Bosporus (1st century BC - 4th century AD).
Pantikapaion's minting is known today for its bronze coins, which frequently appear on the auction market. Gold stateri are among the great rarities. They depict the head of the god Pan (a play on words alluding to the city's name) and on the reverse a griffin, which Herodotus describes as the guardian of distant gold mines.
The coin is struck with the same pair of stamps as pieces from the famous Black Sea Collection (Triton V, lot 1323, 15.01.2002) sold in 2016 at the 13th Nomos auction for CHF 50'000 (Auction 13, lot 151), or a stater from the Heritage 3010 auction ($32'500; auction 3010 lot 20048; 16.08.2010).
Obverse: head of the Lord wearing a wreath of ivy leaves, facing left.
Reverse: griffin standing on an ear of grain, left, holding a spear in its beak, in the fields the legend Π-A-N.
Gold, diameter 20 mm, weight 9.10 g.
