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Session Five - Tuesday, January 15, 2015 1:00 pm
M
AGNIFICENT
M
ARRIAGE
AR T
ETRADRACHM OF
K
AMNASKIRES
III
AND
A
NZAZE
Enlargement
3106
Elymaian Kingdom. Kamnaskires III, with Anzaze. Silver Tetradrachm (15.7 g), ca. 82-73 BC
. Seleukeia on the Hedyphon, S.E.
232 (81/0 BC). Jugate draped busts of Kamnaskires III, diademed, and his queen, Anzaze, wearing stephane, left; behind busts, anchor mint-
mark.
Reverse:
C
C [
]
C
[
]
C
CC
C
C, Belos seated left, holding Nike and scepter; in inner left field,
date (
); in exergue,
. Cf. Haaff 7.1, subtype not published. Lustrous. Well struck on both sides. Best example from a recent
group.
Superb Extremely Fine
.
Estimated Value ............................................................................................................................................................... $5,000 - 6,000
I
NCREDIBLE
P
ORTRAIT
T
ETRADRACHM OF
P
ERSIS
, A
UTOPHRADATES
II
Enlargement
3107
Kingdom of Persis. Autophradates II. Silver Tetradrachm (16.8 g), early-mid 2nd century BC
. Persepolis. Diademed head of Auto-
phradates II right, wearing kyrbasia adorned with eagle.
Reverse:
Fire temple of Ahura-Mazda; above, half-figure of Ahura-Mazda; to left,
king standing right; to right, eagle standing left on standard. Klose & Müseler 3/1; NAP 547.
Finest of only three or four known.
Struck in high
relief. Outstanding portrait.
Superb Extremely Fine
.
The reign of Autophradates II is known only from his coins, which are especially notable for showing the breakdown of Seleukid authority in
the eastern satrapies. After the death of Alexander the Great, his generals divided his empire amongst themselves, subsequently warring with
one another for control of the various provinces and satrapies. Seleukos I came to control of the entire eastern portion of the realm, but his
successors based their power in the west, in Syria and Mesopotamia, leaving the eastern regions under only nominal control.
By the later third century the local governors of Persis had begun issuing their own coins, but were mindful to pay nominal respect to their
Seleukid overlords by incorporating the title
frataraka
, i.e., local ruler-priests, in the design. Sometime during the first half of the third century
however - perhaps after the Roman defeat of Antiochos III at Magnesia in 190 BC, or around the the time of Antiochos IV's failed anabasis to
recoup the Iranian plateau 164 BC - Autophradates II dropped the pretense of subservience and began issuing coins which either wholly
lacked the title of ruler-priest or employed the title of king. This drew no consequence from the Seleukids who were powerless to reassert
their authority in the east, and continued throughout the duration that the rulers of Persis struck coinage.
Estimated Value ................................................................................................................................................................... $30,000-UP
