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Author Topic: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes  (Read 5120 times)

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Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2016, 03:54:05 pm »
 +++ again a nice group.. :)

 Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2016, 08:30:58 am »

My latest additions are these:

1 Mithradates III.: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131029,

4 Orodes II.:         https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131026,
                            https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131027,
                            https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131025,
                            https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131028.

Starting with Orodes II., the variety of bronzes has become so great and the degree of preservation often so low that attributions are sometimes approximate because the coins cannot be identified accurately, at least not by me. Still, I will plod on and try to put up another batch unless I get too distracted by the US Open Tennis Championship.

Schatz

Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2016, 10:43:48 am »
I agree it is not easy to ID this coin but all are not an everyday coins :)

 Regards
 Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2016, 09:40:56 am »
Hi quadrans,
I hope you don't get tired of my stuff!

6 more Parthian bronzes for those who care to look:  5 Phraates IV., one of which is an interesting mule, and 1 Phraatakes, all very dark  and in more or less poor condition or quality, still not without a certain charm - one revers shows the head of a panther, another one a crab.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131053

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131054

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131055

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131056
                                   (this one is a mule, I think)

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131057

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131058


Thanks again,
Schatz

Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2016, 03:49:19 pm »
Hi Schatz,

 Don't worry  I like this all   :) ;) +++

Again a nice staff.. +++

Regards
 Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2016, 06:38:32 am »
Thanks for sharing your interesting collection Schatz.
Joseph Sermarini
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2016, 08:46:39 am »
Thanks, Joe,

my pleasure. At least posting these bronzes made me put them in order and revise their attributions many of which were made in haste.

Schatz

Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2016, 09:45:41 am »

I don’t want to bore you with more and more of the same stuff without relief. Here is a AR tdr of an unknown Parthian ruler, Sellwood’s type 30 which is the only coin I picked up from the Sunrise Collection sale:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131122,

and 7 more bronzes, some with intriguing reverses, like
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131157,  with a upright fish, perhaps a soaring dolphin?,

another one with an eagle’s or a griffin’s head looking like a moose cow’s head:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131152,

one of the more usual reverses is the amphora
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131124

here a lady on the reverse, most likely the goddess Tyche
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131123

this one with a king’s head - could not be the father (Dareios II of Media Atropatene) and hardly his predecessor Vonones I. So who ist this?
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131150,

the crescent over star rev. with a long pointed beard on the obv.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131149,

and the last one for today, a chalkous with the kantharos rev., not very well preserved, though,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131148.

There’s more to come in the next couple of days,
Schatz

Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2016, 03:46:26 pm »
Hi again,

so, here is the next batch of bronzes. Halfway through this posting session I began to lighten up the images a little so hat viewers could see at least the outlines and some features. Before, I tried to come as close to the ‘real’ appearance of the coins as possible, but there is little point in realism if you cannot see what you are looking at.
Coins are from the Middle Parthian Period III:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131446,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131447,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131448,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131517,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131527,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131539.


These are all extremely small coins, about 1 cm in diameter, yet there is amazing detail as a rule, - of course, depending on the condition of the coin.

Schatz


Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2016, 03:16:37 pm »
Hi Schatz,

I was left few days  and now realized some new very nice group again... +++

Q.

p.s.

The last series the second link are not ready :(

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2016, 05:38:31 pm »
Quadrans,

thank you for calling this lapse to my attention.  I think what happened is that I re-attributed one coin to a different ruler and put it elsewhere. Somehow I can't find out now which coin it was. I should have made a note, but ... The trouble with these bronzes is that especially the later ones are sometimes difficult to assign to the correct ruler. They are often in bad condition, important distinguishing marks have worn off, and there are many small fractions all of which cannot be found in Sellwood, Shore or Mitchiner, so there is plenty of room for interpretation. I am doing my best to get it right, however ... occasionally corrections have to be made, and then you get something like what you found: The link is also invalidated when a coin is taken out and placed somewhere else.  I shall remember this and try to make all determinations before I put up the links.

There will be more tomorrow and without fake links, I hope,
Schatz

Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2016, 04:54:13 am »
 :) ;) +++

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2016, 10:16:06 am »

Here is today's load, hopefully all with good links:

We are almost through the Parthian bronzes, just this group and then another one before we come to the Eastern bronzes and the coins from Elymais. Some of the following Parthians were difficult to attribute, especially the dichalkoi of Vologases III. and Vologases IV., father and son who were using the same designs and issuing masses of bronze coins. I invite you to correct my attributions, not only for these rulers but for all others as well.

The first three are easy, Vologases I., Pakoros II., and Artabanos III.:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131663,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131666,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131667,

the next one is trickier, it could be either Vologases III. or Vardanes II. Unfortunately the beard on the obv. side has a piece missing, so it is not clear whether it is round or pointed:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131669,

the next six bronzes are either Vologases III. or Vologases IV., only #5, the coin from Edessa, is clearly Vol. IV.:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131673,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131674,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131675,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131676,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131699,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-131700.

Thanks for looking,
Schatz


Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2016, 03:34:13 pm »
Ohh well,

 a nice series again....

Congratulation.. +++

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #15 on: October 01, 2016, 04:22:20 pm »

Hi again,
as promised, the last of group of the regular Parthian bronzes (as opposed to the Eastern ones) is posted.

The rather small Pakoros II. is quite pretty, and one can speculate if the strange shape was planned or is the result of some cropping:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132107,

The following 3 much larger bronzes were minted under Osroes I.:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132110,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132113,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132114;

2 small coins with a cute gallopping goat reverse are Osroes II. issues:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132118 - the goat has more of a facial expression than the ruler on the obverse,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132120 - with a nice complete image on the reverse;

and the last one a Vologases VI. :
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132121.

It will take me a couple of days of reading now to decide whether there were 2 or just 1 ruler named Sanabares among the Indo-Parthians. Until then I will try and post those Eastern bronzes of the Arsacid kings that are not in my gallery yet.

Thanks again for taking the time to view,
Schatz

Offline Kamnaskires

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2016, 04:45:50 pm »
A great run of bronzes, Schatz.  I'm enjoying these!

Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2016, 09:01:46 am »
Thanks, Bob,

it was a true labor of love - I am still not sure about some of the attributions. The next batch will be relatively easier, the Eastern bronze drachms are quite distinct. More trouble will come with the Indo-Parthian drachms. After that, the coins from Elymais should be a cake walk.

Schatz

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2016, 09:11:27 am »
Quote from: Schatz on October 03, 2016, 09:01:46 am
...I am still not sure about some of the attributions...

They aren't easy.  I don't think anyone would be sure of them all.  Great job.
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Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #19 on: October 03, 2016, 01:33:33 pm »
Hi Schatz,,
 Congratulation.. +++

 I agree with Bob and Joe  it is great work, and not easy... ;)...

 Best regards
 

 Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2016, 09:09:24 am »

Thank you, Joe, Bob, and quadrans,

for your ongoing encouragement. i do confess that it was needed with the Parthian bronzes.

Schatz

Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes - new album
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2016, 11:18:22 pm »

Hello again,

at last all those Eastern bronzes are sorted and hopefully identified, so I have stared a new album called Eastern Parthians and will only fill it with bronzes, for the time being. Perhaps later I will add those billon drachms of Artabanos II., Gotarzes II., and other stray Eastern looking coins.

Hope you will enjoy,
Schatz



Eastern Parthian Bronzes

Some of these are already included in my gallery. For the sake of completeness I will list them again here.


They are altogether 3 Artabanos II. AE drachms:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-124307,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-124305,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132320,

5 Vardanes I. drachms, 1 from Nisa, 1 unusual coin from Susa, and 3 from Areia:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132323,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132329,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132324,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132325,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132327,

several Vologases III., among them 2 rare coins of peculiar style:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132333,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132334,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132332,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132335,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132336.


Offline quadrans

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #23 on: October 18, 2016, 01:32:30 pm »
Hmm,..

Again a nice series... :) ;) +++

I like it..

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
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Offline Schatz

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Re: More of those dark, dark Parthian bronzes
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2016, 08:06:17 pm »
Hello out there,

here is one more Vologases III:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132657 , and I am beginning to wonder if the monogram 99 on the reverse is not a remnant of the word BACIΛEΩC as it appears in some coins with a better rim legend. Yet it reappears on drachms with no or only garbled lettering.

The following drachms are attributed to Sanabares as some of the reverses indicate. I am guessing it is a Parthian Sanabares  as distinguished from the earlier Indo-Parthian Sanabares:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132658;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132659;
the portraits of these 2 Sanabares coins from Margiane resemble the following Vologases III coin so much that they may well have been struck of dies made by the same cutter. The only difference is the crescent and star at 11h on the obv.:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132562;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132660;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132661;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132662.

More of those coming soon.
Schatz

 

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