More Coins in My Parthian, etc., Gallery

[Schatz]

Hi everyone,

I have started the  Elymaean part of my gallery with 3 silver tetradrachms, one of Kamnaskires Nikephoros, and 2 of Kamnaskires V. The first one is clearly still in the Seleukid/Greek tradition whereas the latter two show a style of their own which is reminiscent of that of their Parthian neighbors and intermittent conquerors, still with a meaningless ‘Greek’ legend:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133050,

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133051,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133052,

The next 2 coins are silver drachms in the same style as the last 2 tetradrachms. The second one shows a clear deterioration in style of obv. portrait and rev. portrait and legend:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133053,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133054.

After all those Parthian bronzes, which have, shall we say, met with moderate interest, it is a relief to be working with some silver again, at least for a little while.

Thanks for looking!
Schatz

[okidoki]

Very nice

[quadrans]

Again a nice team.....

Q.

[Kamnaskires]

Great start to the Elymaeans, Schatz.  I'm still rolling up my tongue from seeing the Kamnaskires Nikephoros tet.  At least three or four of the views on that one are mine.  Spectacular.

[Schatz]

Hi there,
hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those who are interested in Elymaian coins, here are a handful of silver and bronze samples.  The hemidrachm is still of relatively good quality, the silver drachm is rare for its rev. monogram:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133178;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133176;

The following 5 AE tetradrachms are thought to belong to the early Arsarcid era in Elymais, possibly the late 1st cent. BC and early 1st cent. AD. The names of the rulers are not known, they do not appear on the coin legends:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133173;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133171;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133170;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133165;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133164.

I’ll continue with more AE tetras and drachms when I have regained enough strength to lift the Alram book. Meanwhile, thanks for looking,

Schatz

[Kamnaskires]

Been greatly enjoying the uploads of the Elymaeans, Schatz.  Some terrific examples.  Your collection seems to have no end.  Just amazing.

[Schatz]

Hi Bob,
thanks for looking and appreciating. I wish the Nikephoros were in better condition. It does have some very distinct rough areas, and I remember how I wished I had waited for a better one after I bought mine. They came along, but with a hefty price tag. The later tdrs are also quite interesting. One wonders why the reverses undergo such a dramatic deterioration of style while the portraits on the obverses stay quite decent, even remarkable. Van't Haaff thinks it is a sign of opposition on the part of the engravers against the ruling system. A bit far fetched??

Schatz

[quadrans]

Hi there,
hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those who are interested in Elymaian coins, here are a handful of silver and bronze samples.  The hemidrachm is still of relatively good quality, the silver drachm is rare for its rev. monogram:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133178;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133176;

The following 5 AE tetradrachms are thought to belong to the early Arsarcid era in Elymais, possibly the late 1st cent. BC and early 1st cent. AD. The names of the rulers are not known, they do not appear on the coin legends:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133173;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133171;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133170;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133165;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133164.

I’ll continue with more AE tetras and drachms when I have regained enough strength to lift the Alram book. Meanwhile, thanks for looking,

Schatz

Great coins Schatz,

Thank for sharing...

Regards

Q.

[Schatz]

Hello again,
if you’d like to look at a few more Elymaian coins, please, open the following links.  There are 3 tdrs, one of which allegedly only exists in 4 copies (https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133303) - I have a second one which will come later.  The 2 other tdrs are very primitive and not in good condition but interesting, nonetheless. One was dipped in a silver wash to make it more attractive or to pass it as silver, the other one shows a portrait with the longest beard I have yet seen.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133302;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133300.

The other 3 are bronze drachms:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133306;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133305;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133304.

Thanks as always,
Schatz

[Kamnaskires]

Excellent.   

[Schatz]

Hello again,

feel like looking at some more Elymaian coins? Here are 2 tdrs and 4 drs of Kamnaskires Orodes, the king with the most flashy coins from Seleukia on the Hedyphon, at least this location is where the tdrs were made. I am not sure if the drs were also minted there - one finds little reference about the mints for the smaller denominations. But perhaps it is safe to assume that they also came from the Elymaian Seleukia.

First the 2 tdrs. One wonders how the king could get on a horse and gallop off with this type of hairdo.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133374,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133373,

and the 4 drs with ferocious portraits:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133372,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133371,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133370,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133369.

The last one is my favorite. There is a corresponding tdr but unfortunately I have not found one for my collection yet.

Thanks for your time,
Schatz

[quadrans]

Nice group as usual...

 Q.

[Schatz]

Thanks, quadrans, however ... I must confess that I wrongly attributed one of the coins. #-133371 is not Kamnaskires Orodes but Orodes II., his successor, who evidently used the same obv. style as K.O. except for an ornament atop the center of the diadem. Sorry about that, a more discriminating eye than mine would not have ade this mistake.

Schatz

[Schatz]

Hello out there,

the days are short, the weather is miserable, what better time is there to busy oneself with one's coins. I had the urge to handle some Parthians again, so I put up a group of five, one tdr of Bagdatis and four drachms. The Arsakes II. was irresistible, it has a lovely, almost iridescent sheen;  3 Mithradates I. come from David Sellwood’s collection and have that nice old fashioned toning - one is the usual Sellw. 11.1, one has an unusual obv. portrait, and the third is a fourrée coin with a peculiar monogram between the rim and the border.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133671;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133670;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133669;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133668;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133667;

I hope you have a minute before the New Year begins to take a look at my five Partians,

Schatz

[Kamnaskires]

What?!  I figured that the recent transition to Elymaeans meant that you had finished all the Parthians.  Now you upload another spectacular set of 'em?!  Does your collection have no end?     Seriously: stunning, remarkable coins.  Just an unbelievable collection that I enjoy returning to again and again, even though it turns me green every time.

[Schatz]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the thumb up.  I still have some Parthians up my sleeve, and, as you well know, the collector's itch never stops, the collection never ends.  Also, I needed some time to sort and attribute the remaining Elymaians.

Schatz

[quadrans]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the thumb up.  I still have some Parthians up my sleeve, and, as you well know, the collector's itch never stops, the collection never ends.  Also, I needed some time to sort and attribute the remaining Elymaians.

Schatz

Good news   ,

and I agree with Bob....

Q.

[Schatz]

Hello,

I hope you have had a lovely holiday and a smooth entry into the New Year. All those year-end auctions are so difficult to ignore. There are a few more Parthian tdrs which I could not resist buying that I have added to my gallery and would like to get you to look at if you can spare a minute or two.

The first one is an Artabanos I. with 2 monograms and the year:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134109,

next another Mithradates II. with a beaky nose and a monogram on the reverse;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134106,

the third is a Sellwood 36, either Dareios or Phraates III, which I have long lusted after and now finally had a chance of getting:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134110,

irresistible was this facing Artabanos II who really looks as if he just emerged from the woods where he was hiding. It is in relatively good condition - most of these tdrs are made from very brittle billion metal:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134108,

and the last one is a Vologases IV which I bought for a very reasonable price because the full crest on the obverse is so rare. It also has a test punch on the reverse - which is a bit ironic as the coin metal at that time had deteriorated so much anyway:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134105.

I will have to brood over the Elymais drachms again and try to get the attributions right.

Until then, thanks for looking,
Schatz

[Kamnaskires]

Happy new year, Schatz.  Great additions!  I love 'em all, and in fact eyed some of these when they were listed.  Alas, out of my range.

The Artabanos II is such an interesting type.  Yours is nicer than the one I own, which has more wear.  These are, I believe, the only AR/BI Parthian issues with a horse depicted - which, when you think about Parthian horsemanship and the Parthian shot - is kind of amazing.

I'm looking forward to many visits to your gallery in 2017.

[Schatz]

Hi Bob,

yes, the Artabanos II tdrs are fascinating. He looks as if he had just left Woodstock. This facing portrait is quite realistic, I believe.  There is one more coin with a horse on the reverse and three people:  Sellwood's Pakoros II. Cf. below - not a very good specimen.

I look forward to seeing your new coins and always your comments,

Schatz

[quadrans]

Dear Schatz,

Again a very nice group in yours additions 

Congratulation..

Q.

[Schatz]

I have added a few more bronze coins to the Elymais section of my gallery after having struggled with my chaotic coin trays and the somewhat unwieldy attribution aids by Van’t Haaff and Alram, the latter being so heavy that moving it requires an act of athleticism.

The first of this week’s group is a ferocious Kamnaskires Orodes dr. with popping eyes and an extravagant hairdo:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134674;

it is followed by a less dramatic Orodes II portrait but a more interesting reverse, a bust of Belos:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134676;

the only tdr in this bunch is one of Orodes II. with a facing portrait and his name in Parthian or Aramaic on the left rim:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134682;

next are 3 Phraates drs., the first with a very attractive verdigris patina - whether it is genuine or a late addition I cannot say, the rev. shows a full (in both senses of the word) figure of possibly Artemis:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134678;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134745;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-134746;

I will try and get some more coins ready for posting before I will disappear for a while to attend to urgent matters.

Thanks for your interest,
Schatz

[Kamnaskires]

Nice group of Elymaean AE's there, Schatz.  I'm really fond of these Elymais Arsacid Dynasty coins.  They're just so quirky - often bizarre.  I often catch myself smiling while looking at them.

Best wishes with your upcoming tasks.  Looking forward to your return.

[Schatz]

Hi,
I am continuing where I left off some weeks ago, with the AE drachms of Phraates, king of Elymais in the early to mid 2nd cent., some drachms and 1 tdr of Orodes III. The obvs show a royal bust facing to the left, the revs dots, dashes, dashes and anchor, and busts of Artemis or Belos. Most of my late Elymais drachms have a very attractive, almost black finish which is not easy to take a picture of. Others show verdigris - I am never quite sure if it is genuine or from a dealer’s/collector’s box.

These are the 3 Phraates drs:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135828,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135829,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135862;

they are followed by 8 Orodes III drs and 1 Orodes III tdr;
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135869,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135870,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135877,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135871,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135872,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135876,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135878,
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135879;

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-135882.

Thanks for your time and your comments,
Schatz

[quadrans]

Great Series Schatz...

 Congratulation.

 Q.