Some More Parthians for The Holidays

[Schatz]

Friends,

I'm almost done with the Parthian silver!  This is what’s new, the first half of the last section, Late Parthians II:

3 Mithradates IV. drs, of good metal and skilled if not exactly artistic die cutting and striking:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125661,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125662,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125697;

these are followed by 8 Vologases IV. tdrs, two of which are of good silver (for that time) with fine portraits of a warrior king. The others are interesting because they illustrate the decay of the coinage so well:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125706,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125708,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125713,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125731,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125711,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125736,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125735;

most of the following Vologases IV. drs are well struck, some even about uncirculated:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125738,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125737,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125755,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125758,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125762;

next you can see another of the 1-year kings of the Parthian Empire, he does not even have a name. The portrait is in the Vologases III./Mithradates IV. tradition:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125700,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125699,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125698;

50 years later, Osroes II. did not fare much better than his nameless colleague. Still, he issued a surprising number of coins, many of which are in excellent condition. Towards the end of my display you can see that the celators did not even know Aramaic/Pahlavi, let alone Greek:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125897,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125898,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125899,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125900,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125903,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125904,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125905,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125908,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125909,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125912
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125913,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125914,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125915,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125916,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-125917.

Of the last 2 Osroes drs, only 2 of each are known so far. I must spoil CNG’s hope that theirs is the only one known (cf. CNG Mail Bid Sale 51, # 642) - I have another one (the last coin here).

A happy New Year to all and good coin hunting,

Schatz

[Joe Sermarini]

Excellent.  Thanks for sharing them with us.

[Schatz]

Entirely my pleasure, Joe,

putting up the gallery has renewed my interest in these coins and showed me many things I had not seen before.

Regards,
Schatz

[quadrans]

Hi Shatz,

 I always enjoy your new addition..

 Thanks for sharing...

 Regards
 Q.