303 304
303
Tiridates (c. October 31 - April 26 BC, intermittently) or a later usurper, Mithradates (c. 15-10 BC), Silver
Tetradrachm, 10.71g, 12h. Minted at Seleucia on the Tigris. Diademed bust left with medium and tapering
beard, spiral torque, dotted border. Rev. King enthroned left with bow and sceptre, monogram above bow,
letter A between king’s legs and under throne seat, seven-line inscription
ΒΑCΙΛΕΩC ΒΑCΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡCΑΚΟY
ΕYΕΡΓΕΤΟY ΔΙΚΑΙΟY ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟYC ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟC
, abbreviated month name
ΑΡΤΕΠΙ
(Artemisios) in
exergue (S 55.10 var, letter A between king’s legs; Sunrise 399 var, monogram under throne). About very fine,
well centred on both sides.
$ 450
304
Phraataces (sole reign, 3/2 BC - AD 1), Silver Tetradrachm, 13.94g, 12h. Minted at Seleucia on the
Tigris. Diademed bust left with medium and tapering beard, hair covering ear, wart on brow(?), Nike
each side, spiral torque. Rev. Bearded king in bashlyk seated right on backless throne, holding bow,
seven-line inscription
ΒΑCΙΛΕΩC ΒΑCΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡCΑΚΟY ΕYΕΡΓΕΤΟY ΔΙΚΑΙΟY ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟYC
ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟC
, year date
AIT
(311 SEM) horizontally under bow, month
AΠEΛAIOY
(Apellaios) in
exergue (Nov./Dec. 2 BC) (S 57.11). About very fine.
$ 1,200
This is an unusual issue, substituting on the reverse the beardless archer of the preceding and succeeding outputs with a long bearded king.
305
Phraataces and Musa (joint reign, AD 1-4), Billon Tetradrachm, 11.11g, 12h. Minted at Seleucia on the Tigris.
Diademed bust left with long and tapering bead, wart on brow, short hair, ear and earring visible, wearing
spiral torque, flying Nike in front, year date
BIT
(312 SEM) set in diadem ends, all flanked by two-line inscription
BACIΛΕΩC BACIΛΕΩN
. Rev. Queen’s bust in tiara with double loop right, flying Nike in front, abbreviated
month name
ΞAN
(Xandikos, Apr./May AD 1, reading from outside) set in diadem ends, around, four-line
inscription
, ΘEAC OYPANIAC MOYCHC BACIΛICHC
(
sic.
) (S 58.1; Sunrise 403 var, different year and month).
Extremely fine, well centred on both sides, uniform dark tone.
Very
rare
.
$ 9,500
ex Bank Leu, Auction 13, 1975, lot 333
ex Numismatic Fine Art, Auction XXII, June 1989, lot 353 (read the abbreviated month name as ΞAN, Xandikos)
ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachf, Auction 388, November 2006, lot 541
ex Dr. Robert Gonella Collection, Germany
Following the defeat and death of Crassus and his son at the Battle of Carrhae in early May 53 BC, not only the victorious Parthians
took the Roman standards, but also captured about 10,000 prisoners. However, around twenty years later and after lengthy negotiations
between Phraates IV and Augustus, the Parthian king finally rounded up the surviving Roman prisoners in 20 BC and despatched them
to the Roman emperor together with the captured standards. In return, Augustus gifted Phraates with an Italian slave girl, named Musa.
Although she initially served as a concubine in the Parthian king’s harem, Musa was soon declared queen after giving birth to a son, called
Phraataces (the diminutive form of Phraates). However, sometime in 3/2 BC, Musa conspired with her young son and had the reigning
king Phraates IV assassinated. She then married Phraataces, following a Magian custom, and began to rule jointly with him. Classical
sources relate that Phraataces and Musa lost their crowns in a “civil war” and were subsequently murdered. Numismatic evidence places
the demise of the mother and son around early autumn AD 4 (S58.7 Tetradrachm, dated Hyperberetaios 315 SEM).
