From Roman As to Greek Assarion: Provincial Coin

Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze Assarion of the Bosporan Kingdom

Example Specimen: Assarion, struck during the period from 39 to 45 AD (Bosporan Kingdom)

Authority & Imagery: This coin was issued under the authority of Tiberius Julius Mithridates Philogermanicus Philopatris (also known as Mithridates III of the Bosporus), a Roman client king who ruled the Cimmerian Bosporus and sought greater independence from the Roman Empire. 

The reverse (left) displays the dynamic symbol of a lion skin draped over a vertical mace. To the right of this central motif is a ceremonial trident, and to the left is a gorytos, which is the traditional leather bow-case used for holding a short composite bow and arrows by Scythian warriors. It bears the prominent Greek inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΙΘΡΑΔАТОΥ, meaning King Mithridates, along with the denomination mark IB. The obverse (right) presents a detailed, clean profile portrait of King Mithridates III facing right. Traces of a historic, brassy aurichalcum alloy coating remain visible on the surface.

1. ROMAN PROVINCES AND CLIENT STATES (including the Bosporan Kingdom, Phrygia, Thracia, Nicaea, Marcianopolis, and Antioch during the period from the 100s to the 300s AD): The assarion served as a regional bronze denomination aligned with imperial trade standards.
2. BYZANTINE EMPIRE (during the 14th century): 1 assarion was valued as exactly half of a trachy (aspron trachy nomisma).
3. BULGARIAN EMPIRE (during the 14th century): The assarion circulated as a low-value medieval copper coin, heavily adopted due to trade with Byzantium.

ASSARION as a distinct coin denomination

The assarion (plural: assaria) represents a fascinating category of ancient bronze coinage. It is essentially the Greek linguistic and economic adaptation of the famous Roman coin as. Rather than being a direct copy of Roman currency, it was a standalone regional issue struck by Greek cities and client kingdoms that operated under the political shadow of Rome. In numismatic literature, these pieces are frequently categorized under the umbrella of Roman provincial bronze.

For collectors exploring the Northern Black Sea region, assaria are incredibly prominent. They form the backbone of classic numismatic finds from ancient regional trade hubs like Olbia, Panticapaeum, Chersonesus, and Tyras. Furthermore, related fractions and multiples were a standard part of daily commerce, including the small hemiassarion (equal to half an assarion), the larger tetrassarion (equal to 4 assaria), and the pentassarion (equal to 5 assaria). Beyond its rich regional variety in Asia Minor and Eastern Europe, the assarion also holds historical renown as one of the specific small ancient coins mentioned within the text of the Bible.

History and Monetary Role of the Bosporan Assarion

The Bosporan Kingdom, situated along the strategic shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus (the modern Strait of Kerch), managed a highly organized monetary system that beautifully blended Greek art with Roman economic requirements. During the first and second centuries AD, this state experienced a definitive golden age of economic expansion and security.

The introduction of large bronze denominations under rulers like Mithridates III marked an effort to stabilize domestic market transactions. The inclusion of the letters IB on the reverse text functions as a clear numerical value mark, which many specialists interpret as representing 12 specialized local account units. This structural division allowed the provincial population to easily trade small-value goods without draining the kingdom's silver reserves.

The Aurichalcum Connection

A striking feature of many surviving Bosporan pieces from this specific period is the presence of an unusual golden hue embedded in the copper fabric. This visual characteristic stems from the use of aurichalcum (literally meaning golden copper). In antiquity, this was a highly valued alloy composed of copper, zinc, nickel, lead, and iron. Prized for its gold-like shine and high durability, this alloy is what modern metallurgists classify as a form of brass, making these coins highly distinctive additions to any advanced collection.