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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 3493629, member: 81887&quot;]As promised, I am starting to post my latest round of auction wins, so I will begin with what I think is the most interesting piece:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]924967[/ATTACH] </p><p>Parthian Kingdom.&nbsp; Seleucia-on-the-Tigris mint.&nbsp; AR drachm, cut (1.30 g).&nbsp; Mithradates I (c. 165-132 BC), struck Seleucid Era 173 (=140/139 BC).&nbsp; Obverse: Fine Hellenistic style diademed and bearded bust right.&nbsp; Reverse: Zeus enthroned, holding [spear and] eagle, three line Greek legend [Basilews megalou] Arsakou ([Of the Great King] Arsakes), monogram in front, in exergue date [173].&nbsp; Sellwood 13.8, Shore 38, Sunrise 264.&nbsp; This coin: Frank S. Robinson Auction 108, lot 92 (April 9, 2019).</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;Mithradates I (reigned c. 165-132 BC) was one of the most successful Parthian kings, and he vastly increased the size and strength of the empire.&nbsp; He initially fought against the Bactrians under Eukratides I (whose name should be familiar to any fans of Bactrian/Indo-Greek coins), extending the Parthian eastern border all the way to India.&nbsp; He then turned west, defeating the Seleucids to add Media, Atropatene, Elymais, and considerable Mesopotamian territory including the cities of Babylon and Seleucid-on-the-Tigris (the latter city captured in July 141 BC).&nbsp; In 138 BC, Parthian forces even captured the Seleucid emperor Demetrios II alive.&nbsp; That same year, Mithradates suffered a stroke that left him unable to rule, and the affairs of state were handled by a regent (apparently his own brother, Bagayash) until Mithradates died in 132 BC, passing the crown to his very capable son Phraates II.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>This coin obverse type (Sellwood 13) was struck at Seleucia-on-the-Tigris in both tetradrachms and drachms; the tetradrachms feature a standing Heracles instead of enthroned Zeus, and adds an extra line of legend Philellenos (loves the Greeks).&nbsp; Earlier coins of Mithradates featured the standard Parthian reverse of seated archer; the use of Zeus and Heracles, and the epithet Philellenos, are probably intended to appeal to the Hellenistic population of the newly conquered cities of Mesopotamia.&nbsp; The coins were issued undated (presumably the first year of 141 BC, and dated SE 173 (140/139 BC) and SE 174 (139-138 BC); all varieties are fairly rare.&nbsp; Here is a complete drachm of the same variety (Sellwood 13.8) as my coin (image borrowed from the VCoins seller Cyrus Coins):</p><p>[ATTACH=full]924977[/ATTACH] </p><p>And here is a tetradrachm just for comparison (image courtesy Classical Numismatic Group):</p><p>[ATTACH=full]924978[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, my coin is unusual in that it has been cut apart, presumably in ancient times to make small change.&nbsp; The natural way to cut would be in half, but my coin seems to have less than half the design left, and the weight of 1.30 grams is more like a third of what the full drachm should weigh.&nbsp; I don&#039;t know if this was supposed to be a 1/3 drachm (which is a very strange denomination to make), or if the person cutting the coin made a mistake, or if they were trying to cheat by passing off a 1/3 drachm as a full 1/2 drachm.&nbsp; I have seen ancient and medieval cut coins before, from various cultures, but I do not recall ever seeing a cut Parthian coin prior to this specimen.&nbsp; I haven&#039;t done a thorough literature search yet, but my research for this post did not find any reference to cut Parthian coins in published collections or the standard works.&nbsp; (I would greatly appreciate if any readers can refer me to any previous published references to cut Parthian coins.)&nbsp; While it is a shame that a beautiful coin was thus defaced, it lends insight into the economic conditions of its time.&nbsp; It also means I could afford this rarity in the Parthian series; my winning bid on my coin was $121, while the complete drachm shown above, even with the date off the flan, was sold for $1200.&nbsp; This is a very interesting coin that merits further research.&nbsp; Please post your coins of Mithradates I, or other ancient coins that were cut in ancient times to make small change.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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