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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 
150, Lot: 175. Estimate $100.
Sold for $190. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PARTHIA. Phraates III. Circa 70/69-58/7 BC. AR Drachm (21mm, 4.07 g). Mithradatkart mint. Struck circa 67/6-63/2 BC. Diademed bust left / Archer (Arsakes I) seated right, holding bow; monogram below bow. Sellwood 36.12 var. (legend; Darius?); Shore -. Good VF, toned, minor die wear on obverse. Well centered on a broad flan.


Ex Peus 376 (29 October 2003), lot 659.

This specimen is numismatically important as its obverse links two different mint monograms. It shares an obverse die with Bellaria Collection lot 438 (Triton VII), which has a monogram for the court mint at Mithradatkart, The present coin has the monogram for the Mithradatkart (city) mint. (Interestingly, both coins also have a legend variety without 'KAI', and a misspelling of the title FILELLHNOS.) The die wear of the two clearly shows that the court mint piece was struck first. Dr. G.R.F. Assar also has two similar coins in his collection, but the die wear indicates the opposite situation. He believes this phenomenon is related to Phraates’ campaigns against Artabanos II. During their struggle, Phraates made Mithradatkart his base of operations, but frequently took his court on campaign from there. During these excursions, Dr. Assar believes he took dies from Mithradatkart for use at his court, but also made dies while campaigning which he gave to the Mithradatkart mint upon his court's return.