Tamas Maroti just put up a site for identifying Parthian drachms: https://mrcollector.eu/parthia/index.php Answer a few questions (bust left, facing, or right? Bashlyk, diadem and hair, or tiara?) by selecting from pictures and it tells you who the ruler was and gives the citations. I tried it on this: The questions and my answers (selected from a short list) were Bust orientation: Left Wearing on head: Tiara Tiara crest ornaments: pellets on stalks What symbol is visible on the side of the tiara? vertical line of pellets That gave me: Sellwood type 85: Osroes II Pretty cool!
The app is pretty cool! I answered the questions for my Sellwood 33 and it came up correctly as Sellwood 33. The problem of course is that the web site gives the king as "Gotarzes I". The NGC holder the coin arrived in said "Sinatruces" then later in the pedigree field (!) said "also attr. to Gotarzes I". Parthia.com http://parthia.com/parthia_corr.htm explains that Sellwood 33 is Gotarzes I according to Sellwood 1980, but Sinatruces to Sear and Sellwood in 1971, and Phraates III in Mitchiner. It might be worthwhile to be less certain on the identification app. Sinatrukes (circa 93/2-70/69 BC), or Gotarzes I, or uncertain. AR drachm (4.12 gm). Rhagai mint [= Ray, Iran] Obv: Diademed bust left, wearing tiara decorated with taurine horn and duplex torque Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ; Archer enthroned right, examining bow. Sellwood 33.4
Try to imagine the mess we would have if all Romans called themselves Caesar and did not bother with other names. We do have some troubles telling part legend Vespasians from Titus and well struck Gordian I and II or Philip I and II until we learn the tricks. We have to allow scholars to change their minds about some of these ID's. Who are the tthree below? Answer: Arsakos (says so right of the horse or behind the throne).
I have the website designer's e-mail and forwarded him your suggestions, as well as my own that the final page give the dates of the ruler identified. If anyone else wants to make a suggestion, I can forward it to him.
Damn nifty is right! I've been baffled by my tiny collection of Parthian drachms and I think this is really going to help out. The fact I know what a "pendent" is now has been very clarifying. Thank you for sharing that link Valentinian - and thanks too to Tamas Maroti.
I feel Sellwood did the right thing basing his ID's on a number system like Type 33 leaving an easy transition to changing names without invalidating the numbers. This is significant since some rulers are given several type numbers and it is quite possible that one type might be reassigned to a different ruler without changing the rest.
