| Roma Numismatics Ltd > E-Sale 115 | Auction date: 21 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 513 Price realized: 900 GBP (Approx. 1,140 USD / 1,039 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Kings of Parthia, Artabanos IV BI Tetradrachm. Seleukeia on the Tigris, dated Daisios SE 338 = May AD 27. Diademed and draped facing bust / BACIΛ[ΕΩC] [AP]CAKO[V] ΔIKAIOV [E]ΠIΦANOVC, Artabanos on horseback to left, receiving palm from Tyche, standing before him; T-Λ-Η (year) in fields, ΔAI monogram (month) beneath horse. Sellwood 63.2 (Artabanos II); Sunrise 411 var. (monogram); Shore 333. 13.35g, 26mm, 1h. Very Fine; attractively toned. Very Rare; in excellent condition for the type. Acquired from Jean Elsen & ses Fils S.A.; Ex David Herman Collection, Classical Numismatic Group, Triton X, 9 January 2007, lot 439 (hammer: 900 USD). According to Tacitus (Annals 2.3), the Parthians held a deep disdain for Vonones II, a king they had sought from Rome, who was regarded as an outsider due to his detachment from ancestral customs. This discontent led them to endorse Artabanos for kingship. Artabanos, an Arsacid on his mother's side, reached maturity among the Dahae tribe. Although initially defeated by Vonones, Artabanos ultimately prevailed in AD 10, claiming the Parthian throne. His very rare tetradrachms, featuring his facing portrait, were minted in Seleukeia to celebrate a victory that remains a subject of scholarly debate. Estimate: 500 GBP |  |
