The reverse of this silver coin is reminiscent of Parthian coins, but the obverse shows a very unusual face. Besides, there is no legend. I'm really witnessing a strange coin which weighs 2.69 g. Even the shape is not normal, Please post your opinion. Thanks..
Sorry, no. I am far from an expert on these, I only own 2 and they are similar in looks. @Parthicus could help.
Looks perfectly normal to me but I don't know enough to be certain. If the thng behind the head is a bird, it is Phraates IV but if it is Nike, it is Phraataces. The mintmark is under the bow MT ligate (Mithradatkart). Yours is a bit small in flan losing much legend but these are often pretty garbled and don't help much for ID. Other mints are quite different in style.
Pretty confident it's a bird. The round shape below the wreath is a crude rendition of the eagle's back wing.
I agree but the reverse is as crude as my Phraataces to the point I would have guessed incorrectly had the obverse not been shown. Is this last year of reign or do these just vary a lot?
Thank you. The coin which has Nike behind the head, has also a star in crescent before the head. That is my case ( Star Crescent). However there seems to be a man holding a globe behind , and possibly wearing something on his head. Is this possible ? If so, I'll try to take more precise and detailed scans on that spot.
The star in crescent, combined with the eagle behind the head, is normal for most of the Phraates IV type 54 varieties. This would be a variant of the Mithradatkart varieties of type 54, based on the star behind the king's head. Parthia's eastern mints, including Mithradatkart, often produced some wild looking imagery. Not sure where this particular issue falls with Phraates' reign. For comparison see: http://www.coinproject.com/coin_detail.php?coin=111650 http://www.coinproject.com/siteimages/32-BMC_Parthia_22-12.jpg
I think I've got a lucky clear scan of that thing behind the head. Still it's curious to configure. Here it is..
Compare to the eagle at the link I provided. The talon and beak (holding wreath) on yours are quite easy to see.
Looks like I'm late to the party... Just want to confirm that it is Phraates IV from Mithradatkart, with eagle behind the head, and the weird designs, oval flan shape, and illegible inscriptions are all typical for the Nisa/ Mithradatkart mints at the late 1st century BC/ start of 1st century AD.
