324
Arsaces I (247-211 BC), Silver Drachm, 4.23g, 11h. Minted at Mithradatkart. Diademed and beardless head
right in bashlyk, dotted border. Rev. Archer seated left on backless throne, two-line inscription,
ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(right).
AYTOKPATOROΣ
(left) (S 1.1, Sunrise 234; Abgarians M.T. and Sellwood D.G., “A Hoard of Early
Parthian Drachms”,
The Numismatic Chronicle
7:11 (1971), 103-119 and Plates 20-23 (Pl. 20, 1/3, this
coin)). Very fine/good very fine, slight porosity on the obverse.
Extremely
rare.
$ 3,200
Having revolted from Seleucid dominion in about 250 BC, Arsaces I defeated an expedition in 247 BC under Seleucus II (probably the
ruler of the “Upper Satrapies” under his father Antiochus II) and thus declared independence from about a century of Macedonian
suzerainty. Less than a decade later, Arsaces invaded Parthia in 238 BC, defeating and slaying Andragoras, the resident Seleucid satrap.
An abortive Seleucid incursion under Seleucus II in 229 BC afforded Arsaces a respite to settle the affairs of Parthia, consolidate his
power base and rule independently until his death around 211 BC. The coin in this lot is the inaugural issue of the Arsacid leader
as the de facto ruler of Parthia, struck at Mithradatkart-Nisa soon after his annexation of the satrapy. It is both historically and
numismatically important, marking the inception of the Arsacid coinage and Parthia’s independence from Seleucid tutelage.
325
Arsaces I (247-211 BC), Silver Drachm, 4.09g, 12h. Minted at Mithradatkart. Diademed and beardless head
left in bashlyk, dotted border. Rev. Archer seated left on backless throne, two-line inscription, part Greek,
part Aramaic,
ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(right, partly off the flan),
krnw/krny
(left, below bow), mint monogram below
stool, dotted border (S 3.1, Sunrise 238; Abgarians M.T. and Sellwood D.G., “A Hoard of Early Parthian
Drachms”,
The Numismatic Chronicle
7:11 (1971), 103-119 and Plates 20-23 (Pl. 20, 3/6, this coin)). About
very fine.
Very
rare
.
$ 3,200
326
Arsaces I (247-211 BC), Silver Drachm, 4.22g, 12h. Minted at Mithradatkart. Diademed and beardless
head left in bashlyk, dotted border. Rev. Archer seated right on backless throne, two-line inscription, part
Greek, part Aramaic,
ΑΡΣΑΚΟY
(left),
krnw/krny
(right, below bow), mint monogram below stool, dotted
border (S 4.1, Sunrise 239; Abgarians M.T. and Sellwood D.G., “A Hoard of Early Parthian Drachms”,
The
Numismatic Chronicle
7:11 (1971), 103-119 and Plates 20-23 (Pl. 20, 4/7, this coin)). About extremely fine,
slight porosity on both sides.
Very
rare
.
$ 3,200
