I have a backlog of coins that I haven't shared yet, so instead of procrastinating until I can produce thorough write-ups, I'm just going to go ahead and post them now. Starting with: Parthian Kingdom. Ekbatana mint. AE (2.55 g, 15 mm). Orodes II (57-38 BC). Obverse: Diademed bust of king left. Reverse: Horse standing right, standard seven-line Greek legend around, Ekbatana mintmark before. Sellwood 45.35, Shore 511. This coin: Pars Coins Auction 26, lot 107 (May 30, 2022). Orodes II was a son of the Parthian king Phraates III (c.70-57 BC). In 57 BC, Orodes and his brother Mithradates (called Mithradates III in older references, now believed to be IV) conspired to kill their father and take over the throne. The two brothers seem to have shared power for a short while, but soon quarreled, and within a couple of years Orodes killed Mithradates to become sole ruler. Orodes had several fights with the Romans, most notably at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC where the Parthians wiped out a large Roman force led by the triumvir Crassus. In 38 BC, his favorite son Pakoros was killed in battle in Roman Syria, forcing the distraught Orodes to choose a new heir. Unfortunately, the son he chose, Phraates IV, was quite bloodthirsty and promptly killed his father and other brothers to consolidate his grasp on power. This is not a particularly rare or historically-important type, but the condition is decent for Parthian bronze and I like the portrait style on Orodes. Please post your coins of Orodes II, or whatever else is related.
