Another one of my recent auction wins: Parthian Kingdom. Rhagae mint. AE tetrachalkoi (3.90 g, 18 mm). Mithradates II (121- 91 BC). Obverse: Diademed bust left. Reverse: Pegasos right, five-line Greek legend "Basileos Basileon Megalou Arsakou Epiphanous" (Of the Great King of Kings Arsakes, Illustrious). Sellwood 27.7, Shore 93, Sunrise 295. This coin: Pars Coins Auction 7, lot 95 (July 14, 2020). Mithradates II (121-91 BC), also known as Mithradates the Great, is considered perhaps the greatest of the Parthian kings. His reign would see Parthian territory reach from Syria to India and the beginnings of Parthian official relations with both Rome and China. It is unclear who Mithradates' father was, or exactly how he came to the throne, though he may have been a son of one of the former kings. Almost immediately, he led campaigns against the Saka nomads who had been raiding the northeastern frontiers, and reconquered western Bactria from the Scythians. Next, he stabilized the southwest, defeating Hyspaosines II of Characene and re-establishing Parthian rule over Elymais. He also led punitive action against the Arabs who had been raiding into Mesopotamia, and later conquered the important city of Dura-Europos from the Seleucids. Mithradates began the long Parthian tradition of meddling in Armenia, defeating king Artavasdes I (123-96 BC) and taking the Armenian prince Tigranes I (96-55 BC)[AKA Tigranes the Great] as a hostage. When Tigranes was released by Mithradates to take over the Armenian throne, he gave Mithradates a region known as "Seventy Valleys" to add to Parthian territory. Tigranes also gave his daughter Ariazate as a bride for a son of Mithradates. Mithradates also added Adiabene, Gordyene, and Osrhoene to the Parthian realm. Parthia was now on the border of what Rome liked to consider its sphere of influence, and in 96 BC Mithradates sent an envoy to meet with Lucius Cornelius Sulla. The meeting did not go well from the Parthian viewpoint (see this post by @Sulla80 for a fuller discussion: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sulla-in-cappadocia-first-meeting-with-parthia.350572/#post-3896316 ), though actual war with Rome would not occur for several more decades. Also of note, a delegation from China made official contact with the Parthian court during Mithradates' reign and began trade between the two great kingdoms on what would become the Silk Road. Mithradates died in 91 BC and was succeeded by his son Gotarzes I, though Sinatruces also claimed the kingship and controlled at least some Parthian territory. I like this coin, not only for its historical interest, but for its aesthetic value. It is better preserved than most Parthian bronze coins, and the portrait has a great realistic quality. Please post your coins of Mithradates II, or whatever else is related.
Cool coin! I recently acquired this one in a mixed lot, and have had a bugger of a time nailing down the attribution. I was trying to find a match for the gait of the horse. As the gait matches your coin type, I thought it might be Mithradates II. However, the portrait is sans Tiara. So, the below coin, albeit a bronze Parthian, is likely not Mithradates II. I think it may be Orodes I(?), but I'm still not 100% sure. KINGS of PARTHIA. Orodes I. 80-75 BC. Æ Dichalkon. O: Bust left, wearing tiara decorated with fleurs and ear flap. R: Horse galloping right. Sellwood 39.4 (Sinatrukes)
@Herodotus : On your coin, note that the reverse features a regular horse (rather than Pegasos) and a seven-line legend with the first three lines "Basileos Megalou Arsakou". On the obverse, it looks to me like the tiara is decorated with a star rather than a fleur-de-lis. Based on this, the best match would be Sellwood 31.11 (described as a tetrachalkoi, but Parthian bronze denominations are hard to tell apart). This type was assigned to Orodes I by Sellwood, but Assar assigns it to a previously unrecognized "Mithradates III" (87-80 BC). Unless there's something else that I'm missing, which is entirely possible.
Thanks for sharing, I find all Parthian bronzes unusual to stumble upon and even more unusual in anything close to aesthetically pleasing - yours is a nice find. As there aren't a lot of opportunities to share Parthian bronze coins, and this is the closest thing I have in my collection to tetrachalkoi: four 10-12mm AE chalkoi (none of Mithradates II): top-left: Artabanos IV (c. AD 10-38) Ekbatana. Diademed bust right/Griffin head left top right: Gotarzes II (c. AD 44-51) Ekbatana mint. Diademed bust left/ Archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne bottom-left: Pakoros I (c. AD 78-120) Ekbatana. Diademed bust right/Eagle standing right botton-right: Orodes II (57-38 BC) Ekbatana, struck circa 50-42 BC. Diademed bust left/Eagle right, with wings displayed The last one may be a dichalkon Sellwood 47.35 And since none of these are Mithradates II - here's a drachm: Mithradates II, 121-91 BC, AR Drachm, Ekbatana mint, struck circa 119-109 BC. Obv: Diademed bust left Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ, Archer (Arsakes I) seated right on omphalos, holding bow; A behind archer Ref: Sellwood 26.3
Thanks for your help and the additional information here. It's my understanding that the few decades after the rule of Mithradates II have been 'coined' as the "Parthian Dark Age" due to the lack of complete records of the events during this period. Most of what is known is from numismatic references. From what I gather, is that Megalou stands for 'great', and that Arsakou is an homage to Arsaces I(much in the way that Roman emperors adopted the name of Augustus). If not Mithradates II (as I'm almost certain), it's got to be one of the three; Gotarzes I, Mithradates III or Orodes I.
Here’s a CNG coin that I think is the same as yours. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7085474 And the CNG link The reverse on your coin much nicer in my view.
My favorite MII bronze is a tetrachalkon Sellwood 24.var. Any better ID would be appreciated. I bought it for the surfaces with I prefer over unworn but rough coins.
It believe that you may be correct @Parthicus ... It appears to be a match; looking at this example shown on the website Parthia.com(newly discovered resource for me): Orodes I (90-80 B.C.) AE Tetrachalkous 3.68g Ectabana mint Obv: bearded bust left wearing tiara (T31i) with six-pointed star; circular border of pellets Rev: horse galloping right; no border; seven-line Greek inscription = ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ Previous collection: Robert Gonnella Photo by Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. - Sellwood 31.11 [10 in db] - Peus 388 (1 Nov 2006), lot 349e (this coin) - Sammlung Gonnella: Münzen Der Arsakiden (2008), 140 (this coin) - Triton XIII (5 Jan 2010), lot 587b (this coin) The seven line legend helps confirm it. Thanks again.
It's definitely similar, but Sellwood lists a coin with AP above the horse on reverse, while @dougsmit 's example has MI. I guess I'd list it as "Sellwood 24.36v." or something like that.
For lack of Mithradates II bronze, here one of Mithradates I. This bronze was probably minted by Mithradates after the conquest of Media. Mithradates I (164-132 BC), AE 6.31 g - 18 mm Ecbatana S.12.9 Diademed head to right. BAΣΙΛΕ[ΩΣ] – APΣAKOY, Nike driving biga to right.
Just in the mail today, my first Parthian bronze. As with all things Parthian, I'm not especially confident in my attribution, but I am pretty sure that horse on the reverse "got wings" just like in the Red Bull commercials. The portrait is not Mithradates the Great, but one of the lesser Mithradates. Parthia Æ Tetrachalkon Mithradates III / IV (58-54 B.C.) Ecbatana Mint Diademed bust left with short beard, segmented necklace / Pegasus flying right, eight-line Greek inscription around. Sellwood 41.18 (Mithradates III); Shore 507. (3.44 grams / 17 mm) Notes: Full 8-line inscription: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ http://www.parthia.com/mithradates3.htm Corrections always greatly appreciated!
