Parthian double shot

two nice parthian coins i picked up not to long ago.

parthian tetradrachm was on my list....



KINGS of PARTHIA. Vologases IV. 147-191 AD. Billon Tetradrachm
O: Diademed bust left, wearing tiara; B behind / Greek legend, Vologases seated left on throne, Tyche standing right before him, presenting a diadem and holding sceptre; year (Seleucid 464, 152 AD), month below (November),Seleucia on the Tigris mint, 26 mm, 13.6 g. Sellwood 84.12-5; Shore 427.

neat big silver coin, plus dated to year and the month...who cool is that?

this one i just picked up 'cause i couldn't not bid on it. got it for a very reasonable price. it's a lovely coin, the toning is fantastic and didn't quite come across in the pic. the reveres is slightly out of focus, but it's the best i could get, it was very hard to get a pic of.





Parthian Kingdom. Vologases IV. A.D. 147-191. Silver Drachm

O: Bust left with long, tapering and square cut beard, wearing double banded diadem with double loop, and tiara with earflaps, decorated with "hooks" on crest, ear and earring visible, spiral torque, dotted border. R: Archer enthroned right, pellet above arm, monogram below bow, single line Aramaic legend (top) , followed by a six-line stylized Greek inscription. Ecbatana mint. 3.5 g, 19 mm. Sellwood type 84.128, ex. Tom Buggey.

post some parthans!

 

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Parthian Usurper to the Sassanian throne.


Persia,
Jay Mint
AR Drachm 29 mm x 3.92 grams
Dated. r.yr. 1, AD 590
Obverse: Bust of Mehrbandak (Bahram VI) wearing mural crown.
Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire Altar flanked by two attendants.
ref:Sunrise Collection #975
Note: Rare, Holed,

 

Here's my Parthia silver, still don't have a attribution.

 

Both are neat!

 

I only have one Parthian coin...
Parthia
Mithradates I 177-138 BCE
AR Drachm

Mithradates I greatly expanded the Parthian Empire in all directions, turning them into a great power, and controller of many of the trade routes. This included control over the Silk Road and Persian Royal Road routes.

Hmmm... Does that make him a Royal LAND PIRATE?

 

I bought three Parthians at the last show I attended but did not figure there would be interest in them. Now I'm not sure if I posted them or not. Each was just a little different from others I had and my skills at identifying beyond the ruler could use some work. All were from an old collection with some tone.

Phrates IV Sellwood 52.10


Vologases III Sellwood 78.10 (rx wrecked by doubling)


Osroes II Sellwood 85.3 Shore 439 monogram 89

 

Still only one Parthian for me, Vologases III

 

Just in case anyone has missed the point: The vast majority of Parthian drachms are off center to the bottom. The ones shown here are well centered. This does not apply to the tetradrachms which were made in a different mint for circulation in the West among Greeks rather than in the homeland. The earliest Mithradates I drachms tend to be centered as shown by Alegandron but by the time of Mithradates II, things were going south fast. Who can show a drachm with full circle of dots? Not I!
Mithradates I

 

Cool score, Noob

 

thanks everyone, and thanks for posting your cool parthians.

i'm kind of surprised how few of us have parthian coins.

 

I know. I've almost bid on a few other Parthians over the last few months, but have let them go due to other coins just calling out to me more.

That's the problem with ancients, way too many cultures, empires, emirates, rulers, etc. to collect, and far too little time and budget to get more than a few coins per month. I do intend to add more Parthians. I definitely like them, and I am quite pleased with my Vologases III, but they are just not extremely high on my list at the moment. Maybe once I'm done acquiring a few more Indo-Greeks and medievals I'll make Parthians a top priority.

 

Realize that you do not have to do it all this month. I know a collector who has coins he has owned 70 years. My oldest is only 53. Few of us buy evenly over many decades but 5 coins a month or 60 coins a year times 50 years is 3000 coins. Look me up in 50 years and tell me if you have kept pace.

 

Actually, right now I'm averaging 4 coins a month, despite my recent spending spree. I doubt I'll maintain that high an acquisition pace once I get to about 50-60 coins and round up the basics. At that point I'm probably going to start doing specialties instead of laying a basic general foundation, which is what I'm doing now. Once I start pursuing different specialties, that will naturally bring my acquisition rate down to probably 2 coins a month at best, as I will be targeting a restricted field of coins instead of generally anything that appeals to me from a wide field of medievals and ancients.

Also, 3,000 coins would just be too much to handle and appreciate. I think once I get to around 500 I may start selling some off as I add others or upgrade some. I couldn't see myself with more, as it would just be a nightmare. I know some of you manage as many as 700 coins. I don't know how you do it, but more power to you.

 

I have around 400, it doesn't seem a lot to me.

 

Agreed. Approaching 700 here, I do not feel I have hardly any. So many to fill in my targeted historical wants.

 

I have just over 30 ancient coins. I might have 35-40 by this time next year. I try to be very picky about what I add.

 

Beautiful pick-ups, Chris...and nice coins, all. Congrats!

 

Beats my paltry 279 total.

 

That is a huge number compared to my paltry 25 ancient/medieval silver coins. Still, I'm proud of what I've achieved in my 8 months of collecting ancients.

 

Specialists usually buy more coins, not fewer. Ask Martin how many Eastern mint Septimius he bought a month in the first decade he collected them. Check the Parthian holdings that allowed Fred Shore to write his book. The Kerry Wetterstrom collection of Alexandrian had more coins than most of us have seen since. Check Andrew McCabe's Republican pages. There is a specialist. Perhaps you can specialize in only EF silver coins and keep it down but when you specialize and run across a group or collection of exactly what you are seeking, it is hard to just walk away not knowing when you may again have a chance like that.