Cimmerian Bosporos. Pantikapaion. Circa 310–304/3 BC

Cimmerian Bosporos. Pantikapaion. Circa 310–304/3 BC. Æ (orichalcum) (21 mm, 7.60 g, 11 h).

Obv. Bearded head of satyr right, with pointed ear and coarse hair.

Rev. Π–A–N. Forepart of griffin left; below, sturgeon swimming left.

Refs. HGC 7, 113; MacDonald 69; SNG BM Black Sea 869–871; SNG Stancomb 541–542.

A classic late Classical bronze of Pantikapaion (modern Kerch), uniting three emblematic motifs of the Bosporan world: the Dionysiac satyr (a nod to the region’s wine culture), the swift griffin of Black Sea legend, and the sturgeon, advertising the rich fisheries and caviar trade of the Cimmerian Bosporos. The bold ethnic ΠΑΝ and vigorous style place the coin among the well-made civic bronzes that followed Pantikapaion’s renowned gold staters.