Watch List notes:

PONTOS, Amisos. Struck under Mithradates VI 120-111 or 100-95 BC. Æ26 (21,20 g). Male head to right, wearing bashlyk / AMIΣOY, quiver and unstrung bow. Wonderfully preserved with dark brown patina. Scarce. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group. . Mithradates VI Eupator (119-63 BC) is a fascinating person. His home base, Pontos, on the southeastern shores of the Black Sea, bordered other post-hellenistic kingdoms such as Armenia, Bithynia and Cappadokia. He also extended his kingdom to large areas in Asia Minor, the main purpose being to stop the Roman expansion in the area. He succeeded in cleaning Asia Minor for Romans (quite brutally) and even held Athens and Pireaus for a while, but in 87 BC the general Sulla turned the tide. In 85 BC a truce were made, reducing his kingdom to Pontos proper. In 74 BC Nicomedes IV of Bithynia bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman people. This was too much for Mithradates and he invaded Bithynia I 73 BC. After some years with considerable progress, the Romans came back with another formidable general, Pompey the great. Ultimately, Mithradates realized that continued resistance would be in vain, and he committed suicide in 63 BC. After his death, the Romans had full control of Asia Minor, and now the Levant was open for conquest – the Seleucid kings of Syria weakened after years of internal strife. Grade:1+