GREEK. ARMENIA MINOR. Mithradates. Satrap, circa 212 BC. Bronze Tetrachalkon (5.33g). Head left, wearing bashlyk / Bee. Kovacs 295. Dark green-brown patina. VF. Very rare. Kovacs assigned this very rare and puzzling coin to Armenia Minor, seeing its wearer's bashlyk and the Aramaic legend as pointers to a satrap rather than a fully fledged king, in line with parallels from Arsakes I in Parthia and Artaxias in Armenia. Earlier, however, W. Museler had suggested a different story, linking the piece to the Persian noble Mithradates III of Cius, who escaped Antigonus' purge in 302, carved out a base in Paphlagonia, and later emerged as Mithradates I Ktistes of Pontos. In that scenario, the Aramaic would sit comfortably beside the issues of Ariarathes I of Cappadocia, who likewise moved from satrap to king. The bee reverse, more at home in 4th-3rd century contexts than in later periods, quietly supports Museler's view, even though the catalogue here still follows Kovacs' traditional attribution. For the type and similar condition see; Nomos Auction 18, lot 241, hammered USD 2,200. (P)

Estimate: AUD 1000