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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 26074883, member: 81887&quot;][ATTACH=full]1660801[/ATTACH] </p><p>Parthian Kingdom.&nbsp; Seleukia on the Tigris mint.&nbsp; AR or billon tetradrachm (14.28 g, 24 mm).&nbsp; Vardanes I (c.38- 46 CE).&nbsp; Dated Apellaios 355 SE (= November 43 CE).&nbsp; Obverse: Diademed bust of king left, with &quot;royal wart&quot; on forehead.&nbsp; Reverse: King seated right, receiving palm branch from Tyche who holds a cornucopia, standard Greek text around, date 355 between king&#039;s and Tyche&#039;s heads, month Apellaios in exergue.&nbsp; Sellwood 64.21, Shore 350.&nbsp; This coin: Stephen Album Auction 51, lot 1715&nbsp; (January 23-26, 2025).</p><p><br /></p><p>Vardanes I was a son of Artabanos IV, and was probably named king shortly after his father&#039;s death in 38.&nbsp; He set off to quell a rebellion at the city of Seleukia, but also had to contend with his brother Gotarzes II, who also made a claim for the throne.&nbsp; The two brothers reached an agreement that let Vardanes keep the throne, and he proceeded to crush the rebellion.&nbsp; He then prepared to invade Armenia (as so many Parthian kings attempted), but instead ended up subduing the border regions before declaring victory and returning home.&nbsp; There is evidence (mostly numismatic) that Gotarzes then became co-ruler with his brother for a period, before Vardanes was assassinated during a hunting party, leaving Gotarzes as sole ruler.</p><p><br /></p><p>Parthian tetradrachms usually bear both year and month date, but since the month is at the bottom of the reverse it is often not clearly struck or missing altogether.&nbsp; Thus I always like to buy tetradrachms with both year and month readable.&nbsp; This coin is dated to the month Apellaios in the year 355 Seleukid Era (= November, 43 CE).&nbsp; This date is part of the apparent overlap with his brother, and I also have a tetradrachm of Gotarzes II with the same year and month date:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1660802[/ATTACH] </p><p>Please post your coins of Vardanes I, or Gotarzes II, or whatever else is related.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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