This is my latest purchase – a very unusual coin for me: Parthian Empire, under Vologases IV, AR tetradrachm, SE 464, month Apellaios (November 152 AD), Seleukeia on the Tigris mint. Obv: Diademed and draped bust l., wearing tiara; B behind. Rev: [SEΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Ν - ΑΡΣΑΚΟY / O]ΛΑΓΑΣΟ[Υ - ΔΙΚΑΙΟY - Ε]ΠΙΦΑΝΟY[Σ / ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ], date: ΔΞY – ΑΠΕΛΑΙΟΥ; Vologases seated l. on throne, Tyche standing r. before him, presenting a diadem. 27mm, 13.81g. Ref: Sellwood 84.13. So, why did I buy this? First of all, I consider my Greek and "Eastern" collection to be more or less the size I want it to be, and I have stopped adding bargain coins to it. Yet, there is a carefully compiles wish list of coins that I would like to permanently house in my trays. The third item on that list read "a really nice Parthian silver coin" – checked off, I'd say! This is my first and (so far) only Parthian coin, and I doubt that I'll start to seriously collect in this field soon. Yet, I wanted to have at least one coin to represent this great empire and foe of Rome. Vologases IV, the only Parthian ruler to declare war against Rome and not vice versa, thus seemed a fitting choice to me. Also, the chunkiness of a tetradrachm in hand is something special, and I really like the grim portrait and Tyche reverse on my example. Please show your Parthian coins, "one of a kind" purchases, or anything else you deem relevant!
Nice coin and nice photo. I have exactly one Parthian coin: KINGS OF PARTHIA, Mithridates II. Denomination: AR Drachm, minted: Ecbatana(?); ca. 96-93 bc Obv: Long-bearded bust left wearing tiara (T28ii) with six-point star; torque end single or double pellet; circular border of pellets Rev: Beardless archer wearing bashlyk and cloak seated right on throne, holding bow in right hand; no border; five-line Greek inscription = ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ([Of the] Great King of Kings, Arsaces, the Noble) Weight: 3.98g; Ø:1.9mm. Catalogue: Sellwood 28.2. Provenance: Ex. private collection; acq.: 04-2019 Mithridates II (Parthian: Mihrdāt) King of Parthian Empire from 124 to 88 BC. He was already known as ""the Great"" in antiquity. He is the first Parthian ruler to regularly use the title of ""King of Kings"", thus stressing the Parthian association with the Achaemenid Empire. Considered one of the most prominent monarchs of the ancient East, his reign marked the rise of the Parthians as a superpower.He spent most of reign consolidating his rule in the Near East, successfully re-conquering Babylonia, and turning the kingdoms of Armenia, Adiabene, Characene, Gordyene, and Osrhoene into vassal states. He also captured Dura-Europos in Syria, and restored Parthian authority in Sakastan, which was given as a fief to the House of Suren. During the last years of his reign, however, his empire fell into disarray, with the Parthian nobility having enough authority to challenge the Parthian king periodically, including a rival-monarch named Gotarzes I (r. 90 – 80 BC), who claimed the throne. Following Mithridates II's death in 88 BC, Gotarzes ruled Babylonia, while Orodes I (r. 90 – 80 BC) ruled the eastern territories of the empire separately.
Parthia. Mithradates II, 121-91 BC. AR Drachm (20mm, 3.98g, 12h). Rhagai mint. Struck circa 109-96/5 BC. Obv: Diademed bust left with long beard, earring visible. Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣI ΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY, APΣAKOY EΠIΦANOYΣ; Archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne, holding bow. Ref: Sellwood 27.1; Sunrise 293; Shore 85. Ex-CNG.
Nice addition AR Tetradrachm O: Diademed bust left, wearing long beard, earring, and tiara decorated with “hooks”; B to right; all within pelleted border. O: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΟΛΟΓΑΣΟΥ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣΣ) (month) in exergue.king enthroned to right receiving diadem from Tyche holding sceptre. Dated 495 ΕϘΥ ΑΠΕΛ (183 AD) Seleucia mint 25mm 10.96 Sellwood 84.96-103 cf. Shore 432.
Wow, with a name like @Orielensis , with the name "orient" seems to be inferred, I would have pegged you as an Eastern collector myself.
Congrats, @Orielensis ! PARTHIA Orodes II 57-37BC AR Drachm 18mm 3.3g - Crassus gold - Ekbatana mint stars crsnt Arsakes on throne bow anchor Sellwd48.9
@Orielensis, it's too early over here to think of something fast. But for a one-off Parthian, that one's absolutely brilliant. The esthetics are great, but the convergence of the relative lateness, and inherent drama of the reign are really cool.
Nice! I have always loved that these Parthian tets have a date down to the month (can't even get that with modern coins!), but I have never owned any. My Parthian collection is pretty small, more like a type set. An early type (Mithradates I?) with Bashlyk Mithradates II, the greatest and most important (and founder of the silk road) Mithradates III, nice Tiara bust Orodes II Phraates IV, I liked the bird Vonones, the only one to break the pattern of seated Arsakes as the reverse motif for drachms, and the only one to use his name on the obverse Pakoros, I like the schematized art style and the disappearance of the reverse legend as the engravers forgot how to read Greek And Vologases VI, the last in the dynasty.
I too have only one Parthian coin. Ever ince I had first seen this type I have always been impressed. I think it is perhaps one of the best compositions on any coin that I have ever seen. Mithradates II Ar Tetradrachm Sellwood 24.5 119-109 BC Obv Bust of Mithradates II left. Rv Seated archer right Seleukia on the Tigris Mint 15.93 grms 31 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Parthians, Parthians,... Nope, never heard of them sorry. Since everyone else has been posting silver, I guess I should share some of the joys of Parthian bronze coinage: Mithradates II: Orodes I: Phraates III: Phraates IV: Orodes II: Vologases IV:
@Parthicus, Thank you for your valued perspective! ...Needing (no, metaphorically) your facing portrait of Phraates III.
Orielensis, Congrats on scoring your 1st Parthian Tet . At one time I had some choice Parthian coins, but sold most of them when I decided to narrow my collecting interests. One coin I really miss is pictured below. CNG did a short historical article on this coin, see the link below . https://www.cngcoins.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=332
Nice looking coin @Orielensis...... I only have one Parthian coin at the moment too.. Vardanes I (40-47 AD) AE Chalkous 11mm/1.8gr.. Obverse- Bust left with short beard, wearing diadem and spiral torque; hair in three distinct waves with earring visible; diadem pendants shown as three lines; circular border of pellets. Reverse- Monogram ΜΤΘ; legend as dashes Mint- Mithradatkart-Near modern Askabad in Turkmenistan. Ref- Sellwood 64 type variant (ΜΤΘ monogram) This is quite a rare type
Thanks for the compliments, everyone! Well, the nickname is a bit of a pun refering to a place I was living at when I made my account. It's rather random. Yet, there are indeed some other "Eastern" coins in my collection that I like a lot – most of them are medieval and none of them is Parthian, though: Artaxerxes II – Darius III, Achaemenid Empire, fourrée siglos, ca. 375–336 BC. Obv: Great King kneeling left, holding dagger and bow, three pellets on chest. Rev: irregular punch. 14.4mm, 4.92g. Ref: Carradice 1987, type IV C (prototype). Chalukyas of Gujarat, AR “Gadhaiya paisa” (copying earlier Sasanian drachms), c. 1030–1120 AD. Obv: stylized portrait of ruler r. Rev: stylized fire altar. 17mm, 4.01g. Ref: Deyell 158; Mitchiner NI 427. Seljuq Sultanate of Rum, Kaykhusraw II, citing caliph al-Mustansir, AR dirham, 1241–1242 AD (639 AH), Qunya (Konya) mint. Obv: Kufic legend citing caliph: "al-imam al-mustansir billah amir al-mu'minin;" lion r. with sunface above. Rev: name and titles of Kaykhusraw II in Naskh: "as-sultan al-azam / ghiyath al-dunya wa ud-din / kay khusraw bin kay qubadh;" around, mint and date: "duriba bi-quniyat / sanat tis' / thel[athin] sittm'iat." 23mm, 2.97g. Ref: Album 1218. Ilkhanate, under Arghun with Ghazan as viceroy, AR dirham, 1291–1292 AD (690–691 AH), Astarabad mint. Obv: Uyghur protocol in three lines, two above hawk and one below: "[qaghanu]/ nereber/ deletkeguluksen(?)" ('of the Khaqan / in the name of / struck'); Arabic name of the ruler Arghun in central l. field; citing his heir Ghazan in r. field; hawk r., sunface rising behind. Rev: Shiite kalima in three lines in square: "la ilah illa allah / muhammad rasul allah / ali waliun allah", partial mint and date formula for Astarabad in margins. Ref: Album 2149.2. 17.5mm, 2.93g. Let's see... After your reading all your posts, I at least had to think about whether also adding an earlier seated archer drachm wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe at some point!
PARTHIA No WART on THIS guy! Parthia Mithradates III 58-55 BCE AR Drachm 3.9g 20mm Rhagae mint star archer bashlyk throne bow Selwood 41-12 Parthia 177-138 BCE AR Drachm Diademed draped Mithradates I left bashlik - archer seated on omphalos Sellwood 10.1
I did it again. After seeing your guys' wonderful Parthian coins, I couldn't resist when a trusted dealer offered me this Mithradates II drachm for a good price. That's my second Parthian coin. Now it has to be enough! Parthian Empire, under Mithradates II, AR drachm, 123–88 BC, Rhagae mint. Obv: long-bearded bust l. wearing tiara with eight-point star; griffin-ended torque. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ; beardless archer wearing bashlyk and cloak seated r. on throne, holding bow in r. hand. 19mm, 3.91g. Ref: Sellwood 28.7.
