Here are a couple of pics from the seller of a lot I received today. I think it was a nice buy at $355. They are better than the photos. The worst condition one of course is the coin I wanted the most, a bashlik Parthian issue. In hand its actually pleasant, and the reverse is a nicely centered VF, I just wish the obverse were centered. The rest of the Parthians are nice vf, and the sassanids have a couple of nicer ones in there. I was pretty happy! Just to show I buy modern coins too, here is a Lannathai coin I picked up a week earlier. It is from 1290-1556, so pretty new! Chris
I don't know how good of a price that is, but those sure are nice. Although, looks like one is cracked in half! :yes:
Very nice set for what you paid. I'd be happy with them too & I dont even own 1 Parthian anymore. It was traded years ago. Never seen a Lannathai before. Cant say I would wanna own one. Something about those shaped one, canoes, dolphins and the like dont appeal to me. My Sunga being square shaped was a stretch.
Yeah, but when coming up with my bid price I factored in the 3 best Parthians and set my snipe at that. The $355 was below that value. All of the Sassanids are really free to me in my eyes. I was going to ask about the broken one. Its a decent coin, (around 5th century issue, in nice shape). What do you think I should do with it? Its a clean break, (probably too much pressure from the glass on the case), so redneck me was thinking of supergluing it back together, (and of course noting the break on the flip).
Many US collectors shy away from coins that aren't perfectly round. You'll come around someday. Chris - I suppose that is a nice little group. The early Parthian issue alone should be enough to justify the cost.
Speaking of, I usually follow Sellwood and Parthia.com for Parthian coins. Under those sources these type of issues would be classified under Arsaces I, II, or Mithradates I, (I believe Mithradates I for this particular coin). However, I just saw an attribution at a major seller of ancient coins listing an attribution for a similar bashlik issue as "Phriapatios to Mithradates I". Is this a new attribution for these?
Yes - there has been much contentious scholarship for this period, mostly revolving around the political and national alignments of certain of the authors. I believe Sellwood and Assar are working together on the next standard catalog, though. Here are some of the most up-to-date articles, in the mean time: [TABLE="class: grid"] [TABLE="class: grid"] G.R.F. Assar. “Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II” in Parthica 6 (2004). [TR="class: cell"] G.R.F. Assar. “Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II” in Parthica 7 (2005). [TR="class: cell"] G.R.F. Assar. “A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 91-55 BC” in Parthica 8 (2006). [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TR] [TR="class: cell"] [/TR] [TR="class: cell"] [/TR] [/TABLE] Failing that, I believe the cataloger of the Sunrise collection also utilized the same information.
Cool, thanks. I will pull out the Sunrise book tonight. Hopefully Assar can finish the work himself, since unfortunately Mr. Sellwood has passed.
The bashlik coin, (upper left first pick, old attribution Mithradates I), I see a similar one on Vcoins right now for $345. Myself, I would be ok at $200-250 on. The other Parthians, (smaller coins), go for around $150-200 in that condition, (they are lusterous VF's in hand). They are earlier Parthian issues, as opposed to the AD ones that go for less. The Sassanid coins, (large thin ones), the nicer ones are around $50-100, the lesser ones $35 or so. Overall? I was happy bidding $500 on the lot, and won it for less. I hate paying retail though.
