I won this group lot of 2 Parthian drachms and 3 Bactrian silvers (2 square drachms, 1 obol) in the latest Stephen Album auction. Just for fun, I thought I'd see if anyone can guess why I was interested in this particular lot. Please be specific (i.e., not just "Because you like Parthian coins.")
The lower left coin, because it has a horseman reverse? I know nothing about Bactrias, so that's my guess.
I'm sure that there is some nuanced thing that drew you to the lot. But, personally, I'm really liking the coin in the bottom right. Being square alone is interesting, but animal depictions are also always fun on coins and this one is rocking that on both sides!
Not sure - but there is something unusual about the top left drachm.... Sinatruces (77-70 BC) AR Drachm Mint: Rhagae Sellwood 34.4 variant (anchor erased; legend i) Others look less interesting. Oh, and because you like Parthian coins.
Thanks for your guesses everyone. As @Alwin has already guessed in the other forum, the reason I decided to bid was because of the Parthian drachm in the upper right. It is a common emperor (Phraates IV) but the mintmark is Aria, which is rather rare and worth a premium. I also liked the Bactrian coin with the elephant, and the obol is a nice surprise (the obverse wasn't very clear in the auction photo), but I always seek out Parthian coins from rare mints, so I placed a healthy bid on this lot, and was fortunate to win. Oh, and the other Parthian coin? It is actually a known fake type that mules a Sellwood 28 obverse and Sellwood 33 reverse. An example of this fake was in Sellwood's collection, and was not recognized as fake at the time- it sold at auction for $1,300! Mine is a double die link for that coin (unsurprising as the original forgers used one mismatched set of dies)- @Alwin has logged 16 examples of this fake. Sad to see it showing up in a reputable auction, even buried in a group lot.
Aaaah yes!... I thought it was because with the two square drachms you could make a Poros decadrachm, before upgrading some day...