Coins of Savromat II

Tsar Savromat II ruled from 174 onwards e. to 210 year n. e. in the Bosporus kingdom . During this period, he made a series of changes that applied to the monetary system. From 174 to 186 g. e. Savromat II reduced the production of staters and copper coins, the weight of which was significantly reduced. Sisters were still issued ^[2] , but their number of minting was limited. The average weight of the sisters was 1 g lower than in the last years of the rule of Eupator. On the obverse side of the sisters are portraits of the king, the king on horseback or the god Zeus . At this time, the staters were made of fairly pale gold ^[4] .

The period from 186 g. e. to the year 196 e. different types of coins were minted, including coins of large denominations were distributed. Large denominations of copper coins were represented by denarii or double denarii. A monetary unit with a denomination of ¾ denarius, which was equal in value to the original drachma, was minted . The stamps depicting the head of Septimius Severus were engraved on many copper coins ^[2] . On the reverse side of the denarius was depicted the goddess Aphrodite Urania sitting on the throne, on the drachma - an eagle with a wreath in its beak. On the reverse side of the largest denomination were placed images characterizing the exploits of Hercules , the royal armor, the king, who rides a horse ^[4] . The image of Hercules on double denarii was probably not accidental - it is known that Emperor Commodus loved to imitate this hero ^[5] .

In 186 g. e. Savromat II conducted a monetary reform, during which sisters, drachma (3 sisters), denarius (4 sisters), double denarius (8 sisters) appeared in money circulation. The weight of these coins differed from their face value and was significantly lower, and the coins themselves played the role of value signs. There are suggestions that such measures were necessary to cover military spending - Savromat II was actively fighting the offensive of local tribes ^[2] . In the year 193 e. he, with the consent of the new emperor Septimius Severus, made a successful campaign, having conquered the Scythians and Syrac , and Taurica . The minting of staters was increased for this military company, the gold content in them decreased to 15-30%. Coins were massively engraved with the denarius sign - a star, a double-denomination letter B, a portrait of Septimius Severus. This took place both with bronze coins of previous kings and with those denominations of Savromat II that were issued earlier ^[5] .

From 174 g. e. 186 g each e. staters were minted; their weight was 7.8 g and diameter 20 mm ^{[5] [6]} . Since 188 g. e. the weight of the stater became 7.7 g ^{[6] [7]} . The double denarius depicted a bust of Tsar Savromat II. At first, the weight of the coins was 16 g, the diameter was 30 mm ^[8] , then the coins began to weigh 11 g each, and their diameter decreased to 26 mm ^[9] . At Savromat II, denarii were also minted weighing 13 g and in diameter - 28 mm ^[10] . Drachma weighed 11 g; it was made of bronze; its diameter was 28 mm ^[11] . Also drachma was minted weighing 8.5 g, diameter - 26 mm ^[12] . Sisters were 8 g in weight, 24 mm in diameter ^[13] , and double sisters were 8.5 g, 26 mm in diameter ^[12] .

From 196 to 210, coins were still minted, but they were characterized by a deteriorated breakdown of gold. Copper coins were issued in large denominations - double denarii, in which the weight was significantly reduced ^[2] . The appearance of the staters became even paler, and the weight of the two highest denominations significantly decreased ^[4] .

• Obverse and reverse history / [Ed. col .: A.V. Mityaeva and others]. - M .: International Numismatic Club , 2016 .-- 216 p. - ISBN 978-5-9906902-6-4 .
• A.N. Zograph. Materials and research on archeology of the USSR No. 16 // Antique coins. - Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1951.
• L.N. Kazamanova. Introduction to ancient numismatics. - Publishing House of Moscow University, 1969.
• I.M. Stanislavsky. Coins of the Bosporus Kingdom and their value. - Moscow, 2000.