Mitridate III re del Ponto

[apollonia]

Fu il quarto re del Ponto che può aver regnato in un periodo compreso tra circa il 250 e circa il 190 a. C. Il periodo non è definibile con certezza perché niente si conosce di esso in quanto il regno del Ponto sparì dalla storia. La sua stessa esistenza viene contestata da alcuni storici, anche se è necessario considerare l'indicazione di Appiano riguardo a Mitridate Eupatore come l'ottavo re della dinastia e il sesto che porta questo nome.

Tetradramma di Mitridate III della Leu Numismatik AG (1991-2007), Auction 81, lot 236, 16.05.2001.

Asia Minor
Pontos
Mithradates III, King of Pontos, c. 220-196/5
Estimate: CHF 45'000.00
Tetradrachm (Silver, 17.19 g 12), Amaseia or Sinope, c. 200? Diademed and draped bust of Mithra-dates IV to right. Rev. Zeus seated left on facing throne, holding eagle on his outstretched right hand and long scepter with his left; to left, star within crescent; below throne, monogram; to right, above. De Hirsch 1411. EHC 421. Kraay/Hirmer 769. RG pp. 10-11 (this coin, listed twice, both incorrectly). SNG BM 1025. Extremely rare. Very attractively toned, and with a portrait of great power. Extremely fine.
From the collections of C. Gillet, Bank Leu & Münzen und Medaillen (Kunstfreund), 28 May 1974, 243, the Baron de Rothschild, SWH 28 May 1900, 304, R. Carfrae, SWH 23 May 1894, 187, and P. Dupré, Hoffmann, 24 April 1867, 240.Perhaps the best description of the power of Pontic royal portraiture is the late Otto Mørkholm's, from EHC, p. 131: The Pontic kings were proud of their Iranian descent, and...their attachment to their oriental roots remained strong. This gave a series of excellent Greek die engravers the opportunity to create a gallery of semi-barbarian royal portraits that has no real parallel in Hellenistic portraiture. The first of these excellent likenesses is that of Mithradates III, probably created about 200. His...bust is rendered with extreme realism, emphasizing his oriental features that are so different from Greek idealization or Macedonian heaviness. The Pontic portraits are equal to the best Bactrian portraits as far as realism is concerned, and seem to me to surpass them in psychological insight. The approximately contemporary portrait issues of the Macedonian kings Philip V and Perseus (above, 185-186, 188-189), the Roman general Flamininus (above, 187), and the Seleukid king Antiochos III (below, 331), illustrate Mørkholm's comments perfectly, and show why the portraits on the coinage of Mithradates III, and on that of his successors Pharnakes I and Mithradates IV, are among the most spectacular and desirable of the entire Greek series. On their coins the tough mountain rulers of Pontus appear with unequaled realism, untempered by any attempt at softening their rough and craggy features. Recently, H.B. Mattingly (The Coinage of Mithradates III, Pharnakes and Mithradates IV of Pontos, Studies Price pp. 255-258) proposed that coins like the one here be instead ascribed to Mithradates IV, solely because three similar pieces appeared in the Latakia (IGCH 1536) and Babylon (IGCH 1774) hoards, both buried in the 160s. He maintained that the hoard coins were in such good condition that they could not have been struck as early as the late 3rd century. However, his theory is rather suprisingly easily disproved, since not only do illustrations of the three hoard coins show that they are actually very worn (rather than being in splendid condition as Mattingly says), but also because the portraits on these coins, normally ascribed to Mithradates III, are totally different from those already securely identified as being of Mithradates IV! Thus, Mattingly was forced into the fatally awkward position of terming the coinage of Mithradates III, bearing the head of a middle-aged man with a high forehead, as the first coinage of Mithradates IV, whose supposedly later coinage portrayed him as a younger man with a full head of hair!

[apollonia]

Tetradramma di Mitridate III della NAC AUCTION 116, LOT 159, 1 Oct 2019.

Lot 159. Kings of Pontus, Mithradates III, circa 220 – 196/5 Tetradrachm circa 220-196/5, AR 16.89 g. Diademed head of Mithradates r. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ – MIΘPAΔATOY Zeus seated l., holding eagle in his outstretched r. hand and sceptre in his l.; in inner l. field, star within a crescent above a monogram. Recueil général p. 10, 2 and pl. I, 2 (this obverse die). Mattingly, Studies Price, 2 and pl. 56 (this obverse die). SNG BM Black Sea 1024 var. (monogram below the throne).
Extremely rare. A bold portrait of great strength struck on a very broad flan,
superb old cabinet tone and good very fine / about extremely fine

Ex M&M 61, 1982, 131; Sotheby’s 4 December 1990, Hunt, 53 and New York XXVII, 2012, Prospero, 423 sales.
Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about the reign of Mithridates III of Pontos. His existence is assumed based on the mention of six Pontic kings of this name in the ancient sources although historical details are only attached to five. This extremely rare tetradrachm is traditionally attributed to Mithridates III although a case for Mithridates IV (170-150 BC) has been advanced on the basis of hoard evidence. However, such a reattribution seems problematic due to the seemingly different physiognomy of the portrait on the present coin and those commonly attributed to Mithridates IV. The typology illustrates the continued influence of Alexander the Great’s coinage at the end of the third century BC at the same time that the distinctive portrait of the Pontic king reflects new developments in Hellenistic portraiture. The seated Zeus is closely copied from Alexander’s tetradrachms whereas the royal portrait has a veristic quality, capturing the distinctive individual features of the king’s face.

Starting price: 28.000 CHF. Estimate: 35.000 CHF. Result: 100.000 CHF.

 

[apollonia]

Con l'eccezione della monetazione di Mitradate VI "il Grande", le monete dei primi re pontici sono molto rare e sono pochissime le dracme note. Questa è una delle due conosciute (Triton XII, 5 January 2009, Lot: 267).

One of Two Known

KINGS of PONTOS. Mithradates III. Circa 220-196/5 BC. AR Drachm (3.96 g, 12h). Amaseia or Sinope mint. Struck circa 200 BC. Diademed head right / BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; to inner left field, star above crescent above monogram. Callataÿ, First, dies O1/R1 (this coin listed as specimen b); RG 3 (same dies); otherwise unpublished. Good VF, toned, granular surfaces, minor edge chips. Extremely rare, the finest of two known, the other in the BN.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen Deutschland 11 (7 November 2002), lot 676; Bayerische Vereinsbank Münzschätze FPL 11 (April 1976), no. 32.

Sale: Triton XII, 5 January 2009, Lot: 267. Estimate $3000. Sold For $3800.

 

Come notato da Mørkholm in EHC, i ritratti di questi re pontici sono tra i più sorprendenti e realistici in tutta la monetazione reale greca. A differenza di molte altre serie, come quella dei Tolomei e dei Seleucidi, questi ritratti non sono idealizzati, ritraendo i loro soggetti "con tutti i difetti". Solo alcune monete dei primi re greco-battriani hanno una così bella lavorazione del conio, ma il carattere mostrato in questi ritratti pontici è ineguagliabile.

[apollonia]

Statere di Mitridate III (Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Triton XXIII, lot 290, 14.01.2020).

Greek
KINGS of PONTOS. Mithradates III. Circa 220-200 BC. AV Stater (17mm, 8.50 g, 12h). In the types of Alexander III of Macedon. Amisos mint. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with serpent and necklace / BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY, Nike standing left, holding wreath in extended right hand and cradling stylis in left arm; to inner left, Σ above Π; K to inner right. Callataÿ, First, dies O2/R2, a and fig. 3 = Göbl, Antike 876 = SNG von Aulock 1 (this coin); HGC 7, 318; Alram 22 (this coin referenced). A few minor marks, trace deposits. Good VF. Extremely rare, one of two known staters for Mithridates III, the only one with these control marks.
 

From the Jonathan P. Rosen Collection. Ex Heritage 3048 (11 August 2016), lot 32037; Dr. Lawrence A. Adams Collection (Part III, Triton XIX, 6 January 2016), lot 2052; Sincona 10 (27 May 2013), lot 107; James & Sneja Velkov Collection (Vinchon, 24 November 1994), lot 51; Hans von Aulock Collection.

Est. $20,000. SOLD $30,000.

 

[apollonia]

Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Auction 275, lot 4083, 22.09.2011.

MITHRADATES III. Mithradakart. Drachme. Drapierte Büste mit Diadem l. Rs: BA_I_E__ ME_A_OY AP_AKOY E_I_ANOY_ _IKAIOY _EOYE_ATOPO_ KAI _I_E__HNO_ König mit Bogen thront r. Monogramm. Sellwood 40,4 var. 4,09g. Vs. kl. Druckstelle. Vz

Starting price: 150 EUR. Estimate: 150 EUR. Result: 140 EUR.

[apollonia]

Bronzo attribuito a Mitridate III da Alram e a un altro re da Kovacs (Leu Numismatik, Auction 4).

Greek
KINGS OF COMMAGENE. Mithradates III (?), circa 20-12 BC. AE (Bronze, 17 mm, 5.00 g, 5 h). Crab. Rev. BA•ME / M•TOY /•M• in three lines. Alram 249. Kovacs p. 42, note 45. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Slightly rough, otherwise, about extremely fine.
From an important collection of Armenian coins.

While Alram attributes this issue to Mithradates III, Kovacs notes: 'Alram 249, coin with crab obverse and BA•ME/M•TOY/•M• reverse, is probably an issue of Carrhae for another king (Kovacs, forthcoming)'. Pending Kovacs' publication, we do follow Alram's traditional attribution here.

Starting price: 500 CHF. Result: 1.500 CHF.

[apollonia]

Bronzo di Mitridate III (CNG 66).

KINGS of BOSPORUS. Mithradates III. 39-45 AD. Æ 12 Unit (6.52 gm). Diademed head of Mithradates right / Lion skin on club, flanked by bow in quiver and trident; IB below. MacDonald 313; RPC I 1910 corr. (reverse description); Anokhin 330. Good VF, exceptional turquoise patina. ($300)

Sale: CNG 66, 19 May 2004, Lot: 1022. Estimate $300. Sold For $380.

[apollonia]

Altro esemplare di un'asta recente (Nomos Obolos Web Auction 19, lot 304, 08.05.2021).

Greek
KINGS OF BOSPOROS. Mithradates III, 39/40-44/45. 12 units (Bronze, 22 mm, 11.41 g, 10 h). BACIΛΕΩC ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ Diademed head of Mithradates III to right. Rev. IB Lion's skin draped over club and flanked by a bow in quiver to left and a trident to right; IB below. MacDonald 313. RPC 1910. Dark brown patina with greenish overtones. Very fine.

Starting price: 50 CHF. Result: 50 CHF.

[apollonia]

Bronzo di Mitridate III con la regina Gepaepyris (VAuctions 211).

Lot 68.  Bosporan Kingdom. Mithradates III, with Gepaepyris. A.D. 39/40-44/5. Æ 12 nummi (23 mm, 7.38 g, 10'). BACIΛEΩC MI-ΘΡAΔATOV, diademed head of Mithradates III right / BACIΛICHC ΓHΠAIΠVΡEΩC, diademed and draped bys of Gepaepyris right; in right field, IB. MacDonald 312; Anohkin 331; Stanislavskii 127. Good VF, dark brown patina, fields smoothed.
Donated by: Zach Beasley, Beast Coins
Estimate: US$ 200.