ATHENS NEW STYLE TETRADRACHM – ISSUE OF 97/6 BC ASSOCIATED WITH MITHRIDATES VI FROM THE CAHN 1932 SALE AND PUBLISHED IN THOMPSON – GOOD VF GREEK ATTICA COIN (Inv. 19970)

$2,750.00

19970. ATTICA. ATHENS. 2nd–1st CENTURY BC.
Silver “NEW STYLE” Tetradrachm, 16.50 g, 28 mm. Issue of ca. 97/6 BC, under magistrates Aristion, Philon and Dro–, with control symbol Pegasus.
Obv. Helmeted head of Athena right, within dotted border. Rev. AӨE, owl standing right, head facing, magistrates’ names (ΑΡΙΣΤΙΩΝ / ΦΙΛΩΝ / ΔPO) in fields, Pegasus drinking left in right field, Γ (month) on amphora, ΣΟ in exergue, all within wreath.
Thompson 963b (this coin cited); HGC 4, 1602.
Acquired from Kricheldorf, 1/29/1962 = ex Rudolfo Ratto, 10/9/1934, lot 168 = Cahn 75, 5/30/1932, lot 329.
Good VF.

This New Style tetradrachm was struck in 96/5 BC, some years before the outbreak of the First Mithradatic War (89–85 BC) in which Athens foolishly threw its support behind Mithradates VI Eupator against the Romans. Nevertheless, the distinctive symbol of Pegasus drinking used on the reverse is well known as a personal badge of the Pontic king and was used as the reverse type for Mithradates’ own royal tetradrachms in the 90s and 80s BC. The appearance of the drinking Pegasus here seems to suggest that the king already had a diplomatic relationship with Athens and was perhaps providing financial support for the city’s coin production. Could it be that the drinking Pegasus appears because the silver used to produce the Athenian issue came from royal Pontic tetradrachms provided by the king as a gift?