A potentially unpublished Tetradrachm of Nikomedes IV

[zadie]

 

Bithynia. Nikomedes IV Epiphanes (94-74 BC). AR Tetradrachm, dated year 211 of the Pontic era (87/86). Diademed head of Nikomedes II right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΟΥ, Zeus standing left, holdring wreath and sceptre. To inner left, eagle standing left on a thunderbolt and AIΣ (date). De Callatay D217-R- (same year).

 

I recently got my hands on this intriguing piece and as I always do with new arrivals I started to look for a proper attribution. However, to my surprise, I couldn't find any coins of Nikomedes IV with the same date on asearch. Nor could I find any with this monogram... Increasingly desparate and with no easy access to the primary resource for these coins I'm starting to think this is an unpublished issue. I had a brief opportunity to study De Callatay's plates for this year but none of them come even close to matching my coin. The portrait on the above coin seems stylistically divergent from other depictions of Nikomedes II this late in the series. So much so that it'd be hard to fault someone for thinking that this is a coin of Prusias II. However tempting an earlier attribution is, the date AIΣ (211/87-86 BC) definitively places the coin during the reign of Nikomedes IV. 

Are there any Bithynian collectors in our midst who could help me out? Furthermore, if someone has L'histoire des guerres mithridatiques vue par les monnaies by De Callatay available I'd be most grateful for a few pictures from the page concerning year 211.

 

 

Additional pictures:

 

Stylistic comparisons, Prusias II and Nikomedes IV:

 

 

[shanxi]

I only skimmed the paper, but Callatay seems to have the year AIΣ in his list. 

http://www.numisbel.be/1986_1.pdf

[zadie]

4 minutes ago, shanxi said:

I only skimmed the paper, but Callatay seems to have the year AIΣ in his list. 

http://www.numisbel.be/1986_1.pdf

Yep, he even plates two of them. None of the ones listed match the monogram on mine however. This is great though, I didn't know the catalogue was available on PDF, thanks!

Edited November 19, 2022 by zadie

[shanxi]

3 minutes ago, zadie said:

Yep, he even plates two of them

Which coins on the plates?

On page 18 he lists three known specimens for AIΣ, and for none of them a plate number is given, as for all other coins on the plates.

[NewStyleKing]

The theory is that there was some hold-out cities whilst the deposed Nicomedes IV  was in Rome arguing his case. Yes New Obverse I think too!

Nicomedes IV Philopator tetradrachm 88/7 BC SOLD

Obv: Diademed head of Nicomedes II right Rev: Zeus Stratios standing in Himeiton holding wreath in LH and Sceptre in other. Eagle on thunderbolt under Left arm, below monogram, below ΙΣ date Bithynian-Pontic era 210 = 88/7 BC ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ NIKOMHΔOY 16.19g 34.4 mm de Callatay: NEW ? SOLD

 

[zadie]

17 minutes ago, shanxi said:

Which coins on the plates?

On page 18 he lists three known specimens for AIΣ, and for none of them a plate number is given, as for all other coins on the plates.

Two types from this year are plated in L'histoire des guerres mithridatiques vue par les monnaies:

 

Skimming through the article you sent I've yet to find any of the AIΣ coins plated.

[zadie]

11 minutes ago, NewStyleKing said:

The theory is that there was some hold-out cities whilst the deposed Nicomedes IV  was in Rome arguing his case. Yes New Obverse I think too!

Nicomedes IV Philopator tetradrachm 88/7 BC SOLD

Obv: Diademed head of Nicomedes II right Rev: Zeus Stratios standing in Himeiton holding wreath in LH and Sceptre in other. Eagle on thunderbolt under Left arm, below monogram, below ΙΣ date Bithynian-Pontic era 210 = 88/7 BC ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ NIKOMHΔOY 16.19g 34.4 mm de Callatay: NEW ? SOLD

 

Interesting! Yeah, it's curious how the obverse style seen here compares to the subject coin struck one year later

[NewStyleKing]

And ,of course, it is part of the pre-Mithradatic war manoeuvres of Eupator with his undermining of rivals and such, Socrates Chesto undermining Nicomedes until Rome forced his resumption and his participation in invading Cappadocia etc  which was a disaster! This only encouraged Eupator the Asian vespers already taken place in 88 BC, Mithradates jnr already in place (again) in Cappadocia and the March to Pergamum and Athens was under way! Then disaster where Sulla sullied him right good and proper in Piraeus and Athens  and then in 2 battles!  Oh did I mention the failed attempt on Rhodes too, where Isis herself came down and aided the Rhodians, and according to me this became an anti-Mithradatic rallying cry!