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Parthian Empire

This page includes coins of the Parthian Empire and Roman coins that refer to Parthia.

Click here to read about Parthia in the Historia Numorum and Numiswiki.
Click here for the "Parthian Calendar" article in Numiswiki. 
Click here to go to Parthia.com the best Parthian Empire website.

Judean Kingdom, Mattathias Antigonus (Mattatayah), 40 - 37 B.C.

|Mattathias| |Antigonus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Mattathias| |Antigonus| |(Mattatayah),| |40| |-| |37| |B.C.||eight| |prutot|
This large bronze type was meant to impress the population and improve support for Antigonus against his rival Herod the Great. Parthia took Judaea in 40 B.C. and made Mattathias Antigonus their vassal King. After Antigonus bit off his ears to render him ineligible for High Priest, Hyrcanus II was sent to Babylon in chains. Herod fled to Rome but returned with Roman support and took Jerusalem in 37 B.C. Dio Cassius says Antigonus was crucified but most accounts say he was beheaded.JD113388. Bronze eight prutot, Meshorer TJC 36, Hendin 6197, SNG Cop 64, SNG ANS 185, HGC 10 646 (S), aF, brown tone, off center, weight 12.329 g, maximum diameter 24.8 mm, Jerusalem mint, 40 - 37 B.C.; obverse Paleo-Hebrew inscription: Mattatayah the High Priest and Council of the Jews, around and between the horns of a double cornucopia; reverse BACIΛEΩC ANTIΓONOY (of King Antigonus), ivy wreath tied at the top with ribbons hanging down; scarce; $55.00 (€51.70)
 


Judean Kingdom, Mattathias Antigonus (Mattatayah), 40 - 37 B.C.

|Mattathias| |Antigonus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Mattathias| |Antigonus| |(Mattatayah),| |40| |-| |37| |B.C.||eight| |prutot|
This large bronze type was meant to impress the population and improve support for Antigonus against his rival Herod the Great. Parthia took Judaea in 40 B.C. and made Mattathias Antigonus their vassal King. After Antigonus bit off his ears to render him ineligible for High Priest, Hyrcanus II was sent to Babylon in chains. Herod fled to Rome but returned with Roman support and took Jerusalem in 37 B.C. Dio Cassius says Antigonus was crucified but most accounts say he was beheaded.JD112389. Bronze eight prutot, Meshorer TJC 36, Hendin 6197, SNG Cop 64, SNG ANS 185, HGC 10 646 (S), aVF, reverse off center , weight 13.752 g, maximum diameter 25.2 mm, Jerusalem mint, 40 - 37 B.C.; obverse Paleo-Hebrew inscription: Mattatayah the High Priest and Council of the Jews, around and between the horns of a double cornucopia; reverse BACIΛEΩC ANTIΓONOY (of King Antigonus), ivy wreath tied at the top with ribbons hanging down; scarce; $135.00 (€126.90)
 


Judean Kingdom, Mattathias Antigonus (Mattatayah), 40 - 37 B.C.

|Mattathias| |Antigonus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Mattathias| |Antigonus| |(Mattatayah),| |40| |-| |37| |B.C.||four| |prutot|
Parthia took Judaea in 40 B.C. and made Mattathias Antigonus their vassal King. After Antigonus bit off his ears to render him ineligible for High Priest, Hyrcanus II was sent to Babylon in chains. Herod fled to Rome but returned with Roman support and took Jerusalem in 37 B.C. Dio Cassius says Antigonus was crucified but most accounts say he was beheaded.JD112388. Bronze four prutot, Meshorer TJC 37, Hendin 6198, Sofaer 427, SNG ANS 189, SNG Cop 65, HGC 10 647 (S), F, off center, scratches, both sides beveled, pre-strike flan casting seam and remnants of sprues, weight 6.552 g, maximum diameter 19.1 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, 40 - 37 B.C.; obverse Paleo-Hebrew inscription: Mattatayah the High Priest, single cornucopia tied with ribbons, overflowing with grapes; reverse Greek inscription in three lines: BACIΛ/EΩC ANT/IΓONOY (of King Antigonus), within wreath tied at the bottom; scarce; $115.00 (€108.10)
 


Judean Kingdom, Mattathias Antigonus (Mattatayah), 40 - 37 B.C.

|Mattathias| |Antigonus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Mattathias| |Antigonus| |(Mattatayah),| |40| |-| |37| |B.C.||eight| |prutot|
Parthia took Judaea in 40 B.C. and made Mattathias Antigonus their vassal King. After Antigonus bit off his ears to render him ineligible for High Priest, Hyrcanus II was sent to Babylon in chains. Herod fled to Rome but returned with Roman support and took Jerusalem in 37 B.C. Dio Cassius says Antigonus was crucified but most accounts say he was beheaded.JD98148. Bronze eight prutot, Meshorer TJC 36; Hendin 6197; Sofaer 418; BMC Palestine p. 212, 2; SNG ANS 183; SNG Cop 64; HGC 10 646 (S), aF, earthen deposits, weight 12.536 g, maximum diameter 22.8 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, 40 - 37 B.C.; obverse Paleo-Hebrew inscription: Mattatayah the High Priest and Council of the Jews, around and between the horns of a double cornucopia; reverse BACIΛEΩC ANTIΓONOY (of King Antigonus), ivy wreath tied at the top with ribbons hanging down; from an Israeli collection; scarce; $110.00 (€103.40)
 


Parthian Empire, Phraates III, c. 70 - 57 B.C.

|Parthian| |Empire|, |Parthian| |Empire,| |Phraates| |III,| |c.| |70| |-| |57| |B.C.||drachm|
When Phraates III came to the throne, the Roman general Lucullus was preparing to attack Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia. Since Tigranes had wrested Mesopotamia and several vassal states from Parthia, Phraates declined to assist Tigranes and, in 65 B.C., Phraates III allied with Pompey against Tigranes. As a reward, Rome returned Mesopotamia to Parthia. Pompey soon disregarded the treaty, returned Tigranes to his throne, took the vassal states Gordyene and Osroene for Rome, and denied Phraates III the title of "king of kings." About 57 B.C., Phraates III was murdered by his two sons, Orodes II and Mithridates III. GS96067. Silver drachm, Sunrise 326; BMC Parthia p. 56, 2 (unknown king); Sellwood 35 var. (Darius?); Shore -; Mitchiner ACW -, VF, nice portrait, toned, centered on a tight flan, scratches, marks, weight 3.397 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 0o, Ecbatana (Hamedan, Iran) mint, c. 62 B.C.; obverse diademed, draped, bearded bust facing, short beard, wearing necklace with central medallion; reverse archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne, wearing bashlyk and cloak, bow in right hand, AΓ monogram below bow; squared six-line Greek inscription BAΣIΛΕΩΣ / MΕΓAΛOY above, APΣAKOY on right, ΘΕOΠATOPOΣ / ΕYΕPΓΕTOY below, ΕΠIΦANOYΣ / ΦIΛΕΛΛΗNOΣ on left; from the Robert| L3 Collection; Stack's Bowers Baltimore Auction 159 (2 Apr 2011), lot 10036; rare; SOLD


Parthian Empire, Mithradates II, c. 121 - 91 B.C.

|Parthian| |Empire|, |Parthian| |Empire,| |Mithradates| |II,| |c.| |121| |-| |91| |B.C.||tetradrachm|
Mithradates II was the eighth and one of the greatest Parthian kings. He defeated all Seleukid attempts to reclaim territories and made Parthia a formidable, unified empire. He adopted the title Epiphanes, "god manifest" and introduced new designs on his extensive coinage. The ruins of Seleukeia on the Tigris, where this coin was struck, have been identified at Tell Umar, about 30 km south of Baghdad, and 60 north of Babylon. According to Pliny, the city had 600,000 inhabitants and c. 100 A.D. the city still held some Macedonian customs.SH86429. Silver tetradrachm, Sellwood 24.4, BMC 3, Boston MFA 2216, Sunrise 284, Shore 67 var., EF, fantastic high relief bust, well centered on a tight flan, radiating flow lines, slightest die wear, slightest porosity, weight 15.696 g, maximum diameter 28.2 mm, die axis 0o, Seleukeia on the Tigris (south of Baghdad, Iraq) mint, c. 119 - 109 B.C.; obverse diademed bust of Mithradates to left, long beard, wearing torc and elaborate robes; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY APΣ-AKOY EΠIΦANOYΣ / TY (square clockwise, ending in exergue)), Arsakes I seated right on omphalos, bow in right hand, palm branch right; ex Pars (2008), ex Antiqua Inc. (2000); SOLD


Indo-Parthian, Gondophares I, c. 19 - 46 A.D.

|Afghanistan| |to| |India|, |Indo-Parthian,| |Gondophares| |I,| |c.| |19| |-| |46| |A.D.||drachm|
Gondophares I was the founder of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom and its most prominent king, ruling c. 19 - 46 A.D. He belonged to a line of local princes that had governed the Parthian province of Drangiana since its disruption by the Indo-Scythians, c. 129 B.C. During his reign, his kingdom became independent from Parthian authority and was transformed into an empire, which encompassed Drangiana, Arachosia, and Gandhara. He is known from the Acts of Thomas, the Takht-i-Bahi inscription, and his coins. He was succeeded in Drangiana and Arachosia by Orthagnes, and in Gandhara by his nephew Abdagases I.WA93636. Copper drachm, Senior 222.4D; Mitchiner ACW 2638; Mitchiner IGIS vol. 8, 1142b; BMC Bactria p. 103, 5 ff., VF, very nice for the type, well centered and struck, thick small flan, weight 2.395 g, maximum diameter 12.2 mm, Pathankot or Jammu area mint, c. 30 - 46 A.D.; obverse blundered Greek: BACIΛIOHCΛCC (king), diademed bearded head right, two diadem ties, pearl collar, dots behind neck; reverse Kharoshti in degraded and abbreviated Brahmi script: Maharaja Mahata Devavrata Gudavharasa (great king, devoted to the gods, Gondophares), Athena standing right, round shield (appearing as a circle) in left hand, preparing to hurl spear with right hand, control marks: Z (stra) in left field, (ho) in right field; from the Errett Bishop Collection; scarce; SOLD










REFERENCES

Abgarians, M. & D. Sellwood. "A Hoard of Early Parthian Drachms" in NC 1971.
Alram, M. Iranisches Personennamenbuch: Nomina Propria Iranica In Nummis. Osterreichischen Akademie Der Wissenschaften. (Wien, 1986).
Assar, G. "Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II" in Parthica 6, 2004.
Assar, G. "Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II" in Parthica 7, 2005.
Assar, G. "A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 91- 55 BC" in Parthica 8, 2006.
Assar, G. "Recent Studies in Parthian History: Part II" in The Celator 15, No. 1, January 2001.
Busso Peus. Busso Peus Sale 388, Sammlung Dr. Robert Gonnella, November 1, 2006.
Classical Numismatic Group. CNG Auction 36, Fred B. Shore Collection of Parthian Coins, December 5-6, 1995.
Cohen, Ed. Dated Coins of Antiquity: A comprehensive catalogue of the coins and how their numbers came about. (Lancaster, PA, 2011).
Curtis, V., Magub, A., Pendleton, E. & Hopkins, E. Sylloge Nummorum Parthicorum, Volume II: Mithradates II. (Vienna, 2020).
Fröhlich, C. Monnaies indo-scythes et indo-parthes, Catalogue raisonné Bibliothèque nationale de France. (Paris, 2008).
Hendin, D. Guide to Biblical Coins. (New York, 2010).
Hoover, O. Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant: Phoenicia, Southern Koile Syria (Including Judaea), and Arabia, Fifth to First Centuries BC. HGC 10. (Lancaster, PA, 2010).
Hopkins, E. "Parthia.com: The Coins of Parthia" - www.parthia.com
Meshorer, Y. A Treasury of Jewish Coins from the Persian Period to Bar Kokhba. (Jerusalem, 2001).
Meshorer, Y., et al. Coins of the Holy Land: The Abraham and Marian Sofaer Collection at the American Numismatic Society and The Israel Museum. ACNAC 8. (New York, 2013).
Nelson, B., ed., Numismatic Art of Persia. The Sunrise Collection, Part I: Ancient - 650 BC to AD 650. (Lancaster, PA, 2011).
Sear, D. Greek Coins and Their Values, Vol. 2, Asia and Africa. (London, 1979).
Sear, D. Greek Imperial Coins and Their Values. (London, 1982).
Sellwood, D. An Introduction to the Coinage of Parthia. 2nd edition. (London, 1980).
Sellwood, D. "New Parthian coin types" in NC 1989.
Sellwood, D. "The End of the Parthian Dynasty" in NumCirc June 1990.
Shore, F. Parthian Coins and History: Ten Dragons Against Rome. (Quarryville, 1993).
Sinisi, F. Sylloge Nummorum Parthicorum, Volume VII: Vologases I - Pacorus II. (Vienna, 2012).
Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Denmark, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Vol. 7: Cyprus to India. (West Milford, NJ, 1982).
Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, USA, The Collection of the American Numismatic Society, Part 6: Palestine - South Arabia. (New York, 1981).
Wroth, W. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum, Parthia. (London, 1903).

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