470
Artabanus VI (AD 212-224/227), Billon Drachm, 3.43g, 12h. Minted at Ecbatana c. AD 224 or 227, probably
by the leader of a partisan camp opposing the Sasanian founder Ardashir I. Bust left with forked beard,
wearing single banded diadem with double loop, and tiara with earflaps, decorated with pearls on stalk around
crest and vertically on side, two Aramaic letters
’r
(for
‘rtbnw
= Artabanus) behind head, two pendent ends
to diadem, dotted border. Rev. Archer enthroned right, monogram below bow, Aramaic
’rtbnw
MLK’
(King
Artabanus) followed by a second line in Aramaic, probably reading
tr’dt
(Tiradates?) and a three-line stylised
and totally blundered “Greek” inscription, composed of meaningless characters (S 89.4 (Artabanus IV)).
Extremely fine, toned.
Very
rare
.
$ 1,000
471 472 473
471
Artabanus VI (AD 212-224/227), Billon Drachm, 3.58g, 12h. Minted at Ecbatana. Bust left with forked
beard, wearing single banded diadem with double loop, and tiara with earflaps, decorated with pearls on stalk
around crest, eight-pointed star on side within a circular row of pearls, two pendent ends to diadem, dotted
border. Rev. Archer enthroned right, monogram below bow, Aramaic
’rtbnw
MLK’
(King Artabanus)
followed by a four-line stylised and totally blundered “Greek” inscription, composed of meaningless
characters (S 90.1 (Artabanus IV); Sunrise 462). About extremely fine, both sides slightly double struck,
toned.
Very
rare
.
$ 650
472
Phriapatius (185-170 BC), Silver Diobol (or possibly Hemidrachm), 1.71g, 12h. Minted at Hekatompylos(?).
Diademed bust left in bashlyk, wearing single turn torque, dotted border. Rev. Archer seated right on
omphalos, two-line inscription
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ
(left)
ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(right) (S 9.6 (Mithradates I)). Good fine, toned.
Very
rare
.
$ 150
On the attribution to Phriapatius of this issue see the works cited under lot 328.
473
Phriapatius (185-170 BC) to Mithradates I (164-132 BC), Period 172-148 BC, Silver Obol, 0.62g, 12h. Minted
at Hekatompylos(?). Diademed bust left in bashlyk, wearing single turn torque, dotted border. Rev. Archer
seated right on omphalos, three-line inscription
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟY ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(S 10.19 (Mithradates I)).
Good fine, toned.
Very
rare
.
$ 150
474
Mithradates I (164-132 BC), Silver Obol, 0.72g, 7h. Minted at Ecbatana. Diademed and bearded bust right,
reel-and-pellet border. Rev. Long bearded bust right in bashlyk (Bagāyāsh/Bagasis), three-line inscription
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟY ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(S 12.5). Good fine, toned.
Very
rare
.
$ 250
The long bearded bust clad in bashlyk on the reverse of this small denomination is that of Bagāyāsh (Bagasis), brother of Mithradates
I. He was appointed governor of Media Magna and Atropatene after Mithradates defeated their resident Seleucid satrap and conquered
these important provinces about summer – autumn 148 BC. The Armenian sources refer to Bagāyāsh as Valarsaces and take him as
their first monarch. For further reading and identification with Bagāyāsh of the effigy on the reverse of this and related S12 varieties,
see: Assar G.R.F., “A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 165-91 B.C.”, Electrum 11 (2006), 87-158 (at 89-90).
