Kings of Skythia

Triton XVI, Lot: 104. Estimate $750. Sold for $950. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of SKYTHIA. Skyles. Circa 470-460 BC. Æ (13mm, 1.40 g, 3h). Nikonion mint. Owl standing left, head facing / Large ΣK. Anokhin 571; Alram –; SNG BM Black Sea –; SNG Pushkin –; SNG Stancomb –; Sutzu II –. Good Fine, dark brown patina. Extremely rare, approximately 6 known, 3 of which are in museums.

From the Alex Shubs Collection.

All of the known examples of this rare issue are in rather poor condition, making this one of the better pieces.

Coins of the Skythian kings are relatively rare. Two are represented in the present collection, Skyles and Skilouros. Skyles was a king who lived circa 500 BC, and was mentioned by Herodotos (4.78–80). The son of Skythian King Ariapeithes and a Greek woman, he was of mixed blood, and took more to Hellenic culture. This tendency toward Greek culture set him apart from his subjects, and this trait was used against him by his brother Octamasadas, who led a successful rebellion against Skyles. The coins attributed to Skyles are all cast bronze, featuring an owl on the obverse and either a four-spoke wheel or the letters ΣK on the reverse. The types with the wheel reverse have the letters ΣKYΛ on the obverse. All of these coin types have been found in Nikonion, which must have been the location of their mint. The attribution of these coins to the Skythian king is still debatable.

Skilouros was a Skythian king who ruled circa 130-114/3 BC. Although his capital was Neapolis in the Tauric Chersonesos, all of his coinage was struck at Olbia. His coins are all bronze, and although they are quite rare today, the fact that there are six general types suggests that his coinage was relatively extensive. Very little is known of his reign, except for his attacks against the city of Chersonesos, which forced the inhabitants of the city to appeal to Mithradates VI of Pontos for help. Mithradates’s forces successfully defended the city, which then became a part of his kingdom. Skilouros died during this conflict, which was continued by his son and successor, Palak. Other than the literary evidence regarding this incident, evidence of Skilouros’ reign is provided by his coinage at Olbia, which attests to the extent of his authority over this city.