Stater

The 2 Sigloi stater of Amastris, minted around 300 BCE, emerged from a period of significant geopolitical transformation in Paphlagonia. Following the decline of Persian influence, the city of Amastris was formed by the synoecism of several smaller towns under the rule of Queen Amastris, a niece of Darius III. These silver coins were commissioned to assert the autonomy and prestige of the newly unified city, serving as a primary medium for regional trade and an expression of Hellenistic political identity.

The design of these staters is highly regarded for its artistic sophistication, featuring the head of the Persian goddess Mithras, often depicted wearing a Phrygian cap, on the obverse, and the goddess Aphrodite seated on a throne on the reverse. The iconography represents a deliberate fusion of local Anatolian religious tradition and classical Greek stylistic conventions. Numismatists and historians view the series as a landmark of Hellenistic coinage, reflecting the unique cultural crossroads of the late fourth-century Black Sea region.