EUMENES II SILVER TETRADRACHM – VERY RARE WESTERMARK VII:B ISSUE WITH STYLIS SYMBOL – XF GREEK PERGAMENE KINGDOM COIN (Inv. 21458)

$2,500.00

21458. PERGAMENE KINGDOM. EUMENES II, ca. 197–159 BC.
Silver Tetradrachm, 16.85 g, 33 mm. Issue of Westermark Group VII:B, minted ca. 180–159 BC.
Obv. Laureate head of Philetairus right. Rev. ΦΙΛETAIPOY, Athena enthroned left, crowning royal name, shield behind throne, stylis in outer left field, ATKP monogram in left field, bow in right field.
HGC 8.1, 806; Westermark, Das Bildnis des Philetairos von Pergamon, Group Group VII:B, p. 70, V.XXIII–R1–R4, but unlisted die combination, using die V.CXXII from previous issue.
NGC XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5, struck on a particularly broad planchet with great eye appeal, only one other specimen of this variety in market records.

Probably intended to pay mercenaries, the Pergamene tetradrachms of Eumenes II above were part of a series likely struck during the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) or in the context of the king’s major conflict with the Galatians (Celts). Although Eumenes had provided the Romans with an excuse to go to war with Perseus, the son of Philip V, by the end of the conflict the Romans had grown to distrust him. The loss of Roman support was a severe blow to the Attalid kingdom, and the Galatians took the opportunity to resume their raids. Eumenes responded by campaigning against the Galatians in 168–166 BC. After inflicting a crushing defeat on the Galatian tribes in 166, the king was poised to conquer all Galatia but was prevented by the arrival of a Roman legate who warned him not to infringe on the autonomy of the Galatians.