Tribes, Dynasts and Kingdoms of Northern Greece
History and Numismatics

Sparadocus   Rex Thraciae
Σπαράδοκος   Βασιλέας Θράκης   445-430 BC
Sparadokos was the first king of the Odrysian dynasty in Thrace to mint coins. The depiction of the eagle implies he took control of the Macedonian city of Olynthos and, possibily, produced his coins there. Sparadokos, along with his brother and co-ruler Sitalkes, led a formidable cavalry that consistently threatened the neighboring kingdom of Macedon; this threat persisted until Philip II defeated the final independent Odrysian kings, Kersobleptes and Teres II, in 341 BC. Although frequently referenced by ancient historians like Thucydides, the complete history and timeline of the Thracian kings remains ambiguous—an ambiguity that may be resolved as additional coins from these rulers come to light.
Sparadokos issued silver currency in three different denominations during the latter part of the V century BC. The reverse of his distaters, hemistaters, and hectes features a soaring eagle grasping a snake in its beak, set within an incuse square. The obverse of the limited number of preserved distaters shows a rider holding a double spear, while the obverse of the hemistaters displays a horse. Certain hemistaters are also marked on the front with what is likely a knucklebone symbol. Lastly, the obverse of the smaller denomination coins includes a horse protome.
[NAC 158/73 5.11.2025]

Ashmolean: before 424 BC; Babelon --- BC; Copenhagen before 424 BC; Dewing: 450-425 BC;
Evelpides: before 424 BC; Head: before 424 BC; Κουρτίδης: 430 BC; Milano: before 424 BC;
Moushmov: ca. 424 BC; Pauly: 445-435 BC; Peter: 450-400 BC; Sear ca. 425 BC; Stancomb: 445-435 BC; Taceva (1992): 464-444 BC; Topalov: 464-444; Tübingen: before 424 BC; Youroukova 445-435 BC


v1063_Sparadocus_Rex-Thraciae_Tetradrachm_AR.jpg
v1063 Ashmolean 3717
AR  22-26 mm  16.26-17.15 g   Peter p. 62; Youroukova 15/16
Statistics 1/1   Images1/1

2613 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae Drachm AR 2797 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae Drachm AR
SHH 2613
 SHH 2797
AR  14-17 mm  2.74-3.97 g   Peter p. 63; Youroukova 17/19
Statistics 2/1   Images 2/1

714 Thrace King Sparadokos Diobol AR 999 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR 1123 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR 1305 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR 1716 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR
SHH 714 SHH 999
 SHH 1123
 SHH 1305 SHH 1716
2952 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR 1957 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR 2264 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR 2586 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR 3413 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR
SHH 2952 SHH 1957
 SHH 2264
 SHH 2586 SHH 3413


6670 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR



SHH 6670



1256 Thrace Sparadokos Diobol AR



SHH 1256

2698 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR 4010 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR
SHH 2698
 SHH 4010
6669 Sparadocus Rex Thraciae AR
SHH 6669
AR  8-12 mm  0.80-1.48 g   HGC III 271/273; Peter p. 63; Youroukova 20
Statistics 3/1   Statistics 3/2   Statistics 3/3   Statistics 3/4   Statistics 3/5   Statistics 3/6
Images 3/1   Images 3/2   Images 3/3   Images 3/4


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