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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 3952491, member: 81887&quot;]Well, I&#039;ve finally caught up to where i can start posting my Baltimore show wins from last month.&nbsp; How about we start with a nice double-struck Parthian?</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1041350[/ATTACH] </p><p>Parthian Kingdom, Seleukia-on-the-Tigris mint.&nbsp; AR tetradrachm.&nbsp; Gotarzes II (c.40-51 AD).&nbsp; Dated 361 Seleukid Era (=49/50 AD), month off flan.&nbsp; Obverse: Diademed bust of king left.&nbsp; Reverse: King seated right, receiving diadem from Tyche who holds cornucopia, Greek inscription around.&nbsp; Multiply struck on both sides.&nbsp; Sellwood 65.25-27, Shore 362.&nbsp; This coin: Purchased from Marcos Xagoraris (Aristos Ancients) at Baltimore Whitman Coin Expo, November 2019.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vardanes I and Gotarzes II were brothers from different mothers, though both were legitimate offspring of their father Artabanos II (or IV, as we discussed earlier).&nbsp; Artabanos died in 38 AD.&nbsp; Details of the succession are unclear, but it appears Gotarzes may have taken the throne briefly, only to be overthrown.&nbsp; Gotarzes tried to reclaim the throne, aided by Dahae and Hyrkaneian nomads, but the brothers were temporarily reconciled and agreed that Vardanes could retain the throne, while Gotarzes withdrew to Hyrkaneia (a region southeast of the Caspian Sea).&nbsp; Vardanes went on to crush a rebellion in Seleukia (which is its own fascinating story for another time).&nbsp; History records that Gotarzes eventually rebelled, and the rebels were defeated by Vardanes, but Vardanes was then assassinated during a hunting party, leaving Gotarzes to claim the throne in 45.&nbsp; However, dates on the tetradrachms (which bore month as well as year) seem to indicate that both kings issued coins at the same time from Seleukia-on-the-Tigris for a period of over a year, starting in January of 44.&nbsp; Perhaps the two kings shared the throne for a while, and this was left out of the official histories?&nbsp; At any rate, Vardanes exits both the historical and numismatic record in 45, leaving Gotarzes II sole occupant of the throne.</p><p><br /></p><p>Gotarzes II was not a nice guy. After overthrowing his brother to claim the throne, he proceeded to execute many other family members and other nobles who he perceived to be a threat. Eventually a group of nobles went to Rome and asked for a replacement king to be sent for them. Meherdates, a son of Vonones I living at Rome, was sent back to overthrow Gotarzes. Unfortunately Meherdates was betrayed by some of his allies and captured alive. Gotarzes chose to show mercy and spare Meherdates&#039; life, but sliced off his ears with a sword, as a physically mutilated man would not be accepted as king by the Parthians. (When your kindest recorded act is mutilating a man, it&#039;s safe to say you are not a kind person.) Gotarzes died soon afterwards, whether by natural causes or murder is not certain.</p><p><br /></p><p>The history behind this coin is interesting, but I was first drawn to it by the multiple strikes.&nbsp; The obverse, if you look closely at the face, seems to have been struck at least three times.&nbsp; The reverse shows at least two clear strikes, which have the effect of decapitating Tyche.&nbsp; Despite the multiple striking issues, the king&#039;s face on the reverse is surprisingly clear.&nbsp; This coin was also pleasantly cheap- just $50, due to the wear and the multiple strike (which some collectors would dismiss as ugly).&nbsp; Please post your coins of Gotarzes II, or double-struck coins, or whatever else is related.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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