Reverse: Athena seated left, left elbow resting on shield, crowning ΦIΛETAIΡOY with wreath held in her extended right hand, spear diagonally in background, ivy leaf in outer left field, A in inner left field, bow in right field.

Eumenes was the second of the Attalid rulers of Pergamon in Aeolis (part of modern-day Turkey), having been adopted by his childless uncle Philetairos. In the reign of his predecessor Pergamon had been a largely autonomous but apparently loyal client state of the Seleukid empire, and as such Philetairos’s coins bore the head of Seleukos I on the obverse. Upon his succession Eumenes, perhaps with the encouragement of Ptolemy II, who was at war with the Seleukids, revolted and defeated Antiochos I near the Lydian capital of Sardes in 261 BC. In so doing he obtained independence for Pergamon and greatly increased the territory under his dominion.

Eumenes struck coins bearing now the portrait not of the founder of the Seleukid dynasty, but that of his own – Philetairos. Though possessing all the powers of one, Eumenes never assumed the title of BAΣIΛEΩΣ – king.

Provenance: Purchased from the Lowell Libson Fund, 2017

Location: Not on display