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✦ BITHYNIAN KINGDOM ✦ PRUSIAS I c. 230–182 BC Apollo | Athena-Nike | NGC Choice XF Approximate extent of the Kingdom of Bithynia near the end of the reign of Prusias I. A bronze issue of Prusias I of Bithynia, combining the god Apollo with a striking image of Athena-Nike crowning the king\'s name — a powerful statement of royal authority and victory. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Coin Details Ruler Prusias I Kingdom Bithynia Coin Date c. 230–182 BC Reign c. 228–182 BC Type AE28 / Bronze Coin Diameter 28 mm Die Axis 1h Reference SNG von Aulock 6880 var. (monogram) NGC Grade Choice XF NGC Certification 4681420-003 The Design Obverse — Apollo Laureate head of Apollo facing left. The laurel wreath was closely associated with Apollo and immediately identifies the divine character of the portrait. Reverse — Athena-Nike Helmeted and winged Athena-Nike stands left, extending a wreath with her right hand to crown the royal name while her left hand rests on a grounded shield. A complex monogram appears in the inner left field. The Greek legend BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠΡOYΣIOY translates naturally as “of King Prusias.” ✦ Athena-Nike Crowns the King
The reverse is particularly expressive as royal imagery. Athena appears with the wings and victory associations of Nike, the personification of victory.
Rather than simply holding a wreath, the figure extends it toward the written name of Prusias. The king\'s own name is therefore symbolically crowned with victory, joining military power, divine favor, and kingship within a single design.
The Kingdom of Bithynia Northwestern Anatolia
Bithynia occupied a strategically important region of northwestern Anatolia, adjoining the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Black Sea.
Its position placed the kingdom between major trade routes, Greek coastal cities, and the competing powers of the Hellenistic world.
The kingdom had developed into a significant Hellenistic monarchy before Prusias came to power, but his long reign would expand its territory and increase its influence among the kingdoms of Asia Minor.
✦ Prusias I c. 228–182 BC
Prusias I succeeded his father Ziaelas and ruled Bithynia for roughly four and a half decades.
In 220 BC, he fought Byzantium and seized territory held by the city on the Asian side of the straits. His reign also included conflict with the Galatians and later wars involving Pergamon and Heraclea Pontica.
Through war, diplomacy, and dynastic alliances, Prusias strengthened Bithynia\'s position during a period when the political map of Hellenistic Anatolia was constantly shifting.
Expansion & New Cities
Prusias was closely connected with the Macedonian royal house through marriage and became the brother-in-law of Philip V of Macedon.
In 202 BC, Philip granted him the cities of Kios and Myrleia.
Prusias rebuilt and renamed the cities: Kios became Prusias, while Myrleia was renamed Apameia after his wife Apama. The changes reflected both territorial expansion and the royal practice of placing dynastic identity directly onto the landscape.
Hannibal in Bithynia
One of the most remarkable episodes of Prusias\' reign came near its end, when he granted refuge to Hannibal Barca.
Hannibal had once commanded Carthage against Rome in the Second Punic War and had become one of the most famous military leaders of antiquity. After years of exile, he eventually found sanctuary at the court of Prusias.
Hannibal even assisted Prusias during his conflict with Pergamon, bringing one of the most famous figures of the western Mediterranean into the political struggles of Bithynia.
✦ Hannibal The Carthaginian commander later found refuge at the court of Prusias I Later historical depiction of Hannibal\'s famous crossing of the Alps by Heinrich Leutemann. Hannibal would spend part of his final exile under the protection of Prusias I. Prusias I Timeline c. 228 BC — Prusias I succeeds his father as King of Bithynia.
220 BC — Prusias wars with Byzantium and takes territory in Asia.
202 BC — Philip V grants him Kios and Myrleia.
Late Reign — Prusias wars against Pergamon and Heraclea Pontica.
c. 186–183 BC — Hannibal finds refuge in Bithynia and assists Prusias.
183 BC — Peace is reached with Eumenes II of Pergamon.
182 BC — Prusias I dies and is succeeded by Prusias II. ✦ Condition NGC Choice XF
NGC Certification Number: 4681420-003
This coin has been certified and encapsulated by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC). Please review all listing photographs carefully for the exact coin and holder included, including the strike, surfaces, patina, deposits, centering, and overall appearance.
✦ A Coin of Hellenistic Bithynia
This bronze comes from a reign that helped reshape the political landscape of northwestern Anatolia. Its image of Athena-Nike crowning the king\'s name speaks directly to the royal ambitions of Prusias I, while the history surrounding his reign stretches from the conflicts of the Hellenistic kingdoms to the final exile of Hannibal. It preserves a small but vivid piece of the world in which Bithynia stood between the great powers of the eastern and western Mediterranean.
WESTBRIDGE COIN ✦ ✦ ✦ Historical images are included for educational and historical context and are not part of the item offered. Kingdom of Bithynia map: Ennomus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hannibal Crossing the Alps: Heinrich Leutemann / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
