A Bold Portrait of Eumenes I
634. Mysia, Kingdom of Pergamon. Eumenes I AR Tetradrachm. Circa 263-241 BC. Laureate head of Philetairos right / Athena seated left, left elbow resting on shield, crowning ΦIΛETAIΡOY with wreath held in her extended right hand, spear diagonally in background, ivy leaf in outer left field, A in inner left field, bow in right field. Westermark group IVa (Attalos I); SNG France 1612. 16.96g, 30mm, 12h. Good Extremely Fine. High relief, pleasing metal and tone.
3,000
The second of the Attalid rulers of Pergamon, Eumenes had been adopted by his childless uncle Philetairos. In the reign of his predecessor Pergamon had been a largely autonomous but apparently loyal client state of the Seleukid empire, and as such Philetairos’ coins bore the head of Seleukos I on the obverse. Upon his succession Eumenes, perhaps with the encouragement of Ptolemy II, who was at war with the Seleukids, revolted and defeated Antiochos I near the Lydian capital of Sardes in 261 BC. In so doing he obtained independence for Pergamon and greatly increased the territory under his dominion. Eumenes honoured his forebears by establishing garrison posts in the north near the foot of Mount Ida which he called Philetaireia after his uncle and adoptive father, and an eastern region, northeast of Thyateira near the sources of the river Lykos, he called Attaleia after his grandfather. Eumenes struck coins bearing now the portrait not of the founder of the Seleukid dynasty, but that of his own - Philetairos. Though possessing all the powers of one, Eumenes never assumed the title of BAΣIΛEΩΣ - king. He did however imitate other Hellenistic rulers, for example by instituting a festival in his own honour at Pergamon - the Eumeneia.
635
636
635. Mysia, Pergamon AR Tetradrachm. Cistophoric type. Circa 95-92 BC. Cista mystica within ivy wreath / Bow case between two serpents; monogram to left, BA above, thyrsos to right. Kleiner, Hoard 30. 12.66g, 27mm, 12h. Extremely Fine, some scratches. Extremely Rare, Kleiner records only one example. 300 636. Mysia, Pergamon AR Tetradrachm. Cistophoric type. Circa 92-88 BC. Cista mystica within ivy wreath / Bow case between two serpents; AΣ and monogram above, city monogram to left, thyrsos to right. Kleiner, Hoard 29; Pinder -; SNG France -. 12.60g, 28mm, 12h. Good Very Fine. 200
150