Description:
This coin was minted in the city of Amisus in the ancient Greek Kingdom of Pontus. Amisus was founded in the 6th century BC, along the Black Sea Coast in present day Turkey. It was re-settled by the Athenians a century later and became a flourishing city on a major trade route.
In 120 BC, Mithridates VI ascended to the throne and he began expanding his Kingdom around the Black Sea and into Greece and Asia Minor. This territory included Roman client states and led to the 1st Mithridatic War against Rome in 89 BC. The war lasted five years and ended in a Roman victory which forced Mithridates to abandon all his conquests and return to Pontus. However, the conflict would continue in two further wars and Mithridates, who is remembered as the last great Hellenistic ruler, would rule until 63 BC, when he was finally defeated by the Romans.
This ancient bronze coin depicts the head of Nike with wings on her back. In Greek mythology, Nike was the Greek goddess of strength, speed, and victory. She was the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx. Nike was a close companion of Zeus, the king of the gods and Athena, the goddess of heroic endeavor. It was believed that Nike would fly around the battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame. The reverse side of this coin shows a quiver and an unstrung bow.
