The William B. Warden, Jr. Collection of Sasanian Coinage

Triton XIV, Lot: 452. Estimate $1000. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SASANIAN KINGS. Ardaxšīr (Ardashir) I. AD 223/4-240. AR Drachm (23mm, 3.79 g, 3h). Mint B ("Hamadan"). Phase 2c, circa AD 226/7-228/30. Bust right, wearing diadem (type G) and Parthian-style tiara decorated with star / Fire altar (flames 2b) with diadems (type G); no attendants. SNS type IIa(3a)/3a(2b); Göbl type II/4a/2; Paruck -; Saeedi -. EF, toned. Excellent metal quality.

From the William B. Warden, Jr. Collection.

Classical Numismatic Group is pleased to present the William B. Warden, Jr. Collection of Sasanian coinage. A well-respected and admired dealer-numismatist for over four decades until his death in 2000, Bill was a man passionately devoted to all the coinage of Central Asia and one who generously offered his expertise and advice to those also interested in that same area – be they a scholar, dealer, of collector. An active member (and sometimes officer) of most of the professional numismatic and archaeological organizations, he was a Life Fellow of the American Numismatic Society and chair of its Committee on Islamic Coins, a fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, North American Secretary of the Oriental Numismatic Society, and a life member of the American Numismatic Association. He was also a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, the British Institute for Persian Studies, and the Society for Ancient Numismatics. Bill also served as a board member of the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC), chairing its annual Educational Forum.

This collection consists of silver and billon coinage representing all of the Sasanian kings from Ardaxšir (Ardashir) I to Yazdgird (Yazdgard) III. While the majority of the types in the collection are silver drachms, the collection also includes a silver hemidrachm, billon tetradrachm, and bronze unit of Ardaxšir (Ardashir) I, as well as examples illustrated in the Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum. This collection also offers an extremely rare drachm of Āzarmīg-duxt (Āzarmīdokht), who succeeded her sister, Bōrān, as queen regnant, and a rare SK (Sakastan) mint last-year drachm of Yazdgird (Yazdgard) III. Particular attention was paid to obtaining examples of high aesthetic quality and from rarer mints. This collection offers a special opportunity for the beginning, intermediate, or specialized collector of Sasanian coinage to add to their collection by acquiring attractive and rare coins from one of the most important and esteemed experts in this field.

Please note that all of the following lots of the Sasanian Kings are from the William B. Warden, Jr. Collection, except for 467, 514, 529, and 530.