Fuld #: 630ak-1a
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20151116
IRAN/Parthia (Arsakid); Vonones I CE 8-12
AR Drachm 20mm,
3.83g, 12h, Ekbatana mint c. 10-12 CE
Sellwood 60.5
Shore 329
O: diad head left,
BACIΛϵYC ONωNHC
R: Nike adv r
holding wreath and palm, Ecbatana
An interesting propaganda piece for a short lived victory over Artabanus, who was the eventual victor in the struggle with Vonones. Vonones had spent time in Rome as a hostage and seems to have acquired a very Roman boastfulness that didn't serve him well with the Parthian public. For that matter it didn't serve him too well with the Romans either. So much for cross cultural polination two millenia ago.
20151109
IRAN/Parthia (Arsakid); Orodes II BCE 57-38
AR Drachm 4.06 g,
18 mm, Court at Rhagai mint.
Shore 230 v
Sellwood 45.9
O: diad bust l,
wearing torque with pellet end
R: Arsakes I std r
on throne, holding bow, blundered legend to r, Rhagai mint mark
IRAN ایران /Sasanian شاهنشاهی ساسانی /Bahram IV CE 388-399
AR Drachm, 3.9 g, 22 mm, NM ND
Göbl 136 v
O: bust right wearing winged merlon crown
with korymbos, distinct name proceeding from bottom right and around to the
left. Appears to be “Bahram malkan mazdisn” or “King Bahram, mazda worshipper”.
R: fire altar with ribbons flanked by two
attendants.
20151027
Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius I Soter BCE 162-150
AE 15 mm, 2.14 g, 12h, Tyre
SC 1676, SNG Spaer 1337-1342v
O : diad hd of Demetrius r., one diadem end flying up behind, the other falling straight behind, dotted border.
R: ΒΑΣΙΛ[ΕΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY] around, palm tree, off center
Date on either side of palm: only portion of Ρ is visible
Controls: none
SC 1676, SNG Spaer 1337-1342v
O : diad hd of Demetrius r., one diadem end flying up behind, the other falling straight behind, dotted border.
R: ΒΑΣΙΛ[ΕΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY] around, palm tree, off center
Date on either side of palm: only portion of Ρ is visible
Controls: none
20151024
IRAN/Tabaristan; Dabuyid Ispahbads; Khorshid CE 740-761 اسپهبد خورشید
AR Hemidrachm, 24 mm, 2.10 g, 3h, PYE 94=c. CE 745-746 (AH 128) Tabaristan mint
Album 52
Malek 31 variety (this particular obs die is not illustrated)
O: Crowned bust right in Sasanian style similar to Kurush Parviz though with differences in the crown. "May xvarrah increase" in Pahlavi behind bust and "Khorshid" in Pahlavi before. APD or "excellent" in second quarter of margin.
R: fire altar with attendants, Tabaristan on r and "post Yazdigerd era" year 94 on left.
please cf. H.M. Malek "The Dabuyid Ispahbads of Tabaristan" in AJN 5-6 (1993-1994), pp. 105-160, which includes seven pp of plates illustrating many examples and varieties from these rulers.
General location of ancient Tabaristan or as it is now called Mazandaran on a current map of Iran
20151005
IRAN ایران /Sasanian شاهنشاهی ساسانی /Kurush II Parviz CE 590/1-628
AR Drachm 31mm, 4.1 g, 9h, YZ (
Göbl 212
O: 
XUSRUI AFZUT “Khusro, may he increase”
XUSRUI AFZUT “Khusro, may he increase”
R: on right YZ on left regnal date "Hashtvist"/
"twenty-eight"
the Pahlavi text can be found at the following URL: http://www.beastcoins.com/Sasanian/Sasanian.htm along with additional helpful info for the beginner regarding Sasanian coins
The above example is as struck by the Sasanian mint authorities, the example below has seen greater circulation and has evidence of having been clipped down to a later standard that appears to be an Islamic Dirham standard. It is also a Drachm of Kurush II Parviz, but is 27 mm in diameter and weighs 2.68 g. The coin appears to date from late in Kurush's reign, perhaps year 37 (?) and possibly the Nihavand mint.
The above example is as struck by the Sasanian mint authorities, the example below has seen greater circulation and has evidence of having been clipped down to a later standard that appears to be an Islamic Dirham standard. It is also a Drachm of Kurush II Parviz, but is 27 mm in diameter and weighs 2.68 g. The coin appears to date from late in Kurush's reign, perhaps year 37 (?) and possibly the Nihavand mint.
20151003
INDIA/Indo-Sasanian/Chalukyas of Gujarat or Paramaras of Malwa; c. CE 950-1050?
AR anonymous drachm (gadhaiya paisa), 16mm, 4.11 g, 11h.
Deyell 158
Mitchner Non-Islamic 427
O: stylized Sasanian style bust r
R: stylized fire altar, crescent to upper right
20151001
IRAN/Sasanid; Yazdigerd I (یزدگرد) CE 399-420
AR Drachm; 25 mm, 4.02 g, 3h, AS mint to right of altar flames (Asoristan per Album, but abbreviation AS had also been utilized for Isfahan by the previous ruler).
Göbl 147
Inscription refers
to Yazdigerd as “Ramshahr” or “giver of peace”
cf. a very interesting
discussion by Touraj Daryaee in AJN 14 (2002) pp. 89-95 regarding this, entitled
“History, Epic and Numismatics: on the title of Yazdgerd I (Ramshahr)”
IRAN/Parthia (Arsakid); Phraates II (فرهاد دوم) c. BCE 138-127
AE Chalkous; 15mm,
2.36g, 11h, Ekbatana mint
Sellwood 16.29
Shore 56
O: diad bust left
R: inscription
beginning on right vertically BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ/MEΓAΛOY
APΣAKOY/ΘEOΠATOPOΣ
on left. Elephant standing right.
Besides being contemporaries, Phraates II and Antiochus VII were combatants, and Phraates II though losing the initial rounds eventually gained the upperhand and Antiochus VII was defeated and killed. He also had a trump card with the captivity of Demetrius II who was released around this time. The defeat of Antiochus VII heralded the death knell for the Seleucid state, which had been in decline for sometime. Less than 70 years later, the Seleucid state was reduced to just another Roman province leaving only Egypt for a short time afterwards as the sole survivor from the successor states of Alexander. Unfortunately for the victor, Phraates II did not survive much longer after his victory succumbing to a battle in the Parthian east versus the Sakas where the Greeks whom he captured in his defeat of Antiochus turned the tables on him.
Antiochus VII & Phraates II
20150918
IRAN ایران /Sasanian شاهنشاهی ساسانی ; A representative selection of drachms CE 459-590
AR Drachm 26 mm, 4.15 g, 3h. Rev Ardashir mint c. CE 462-467
Göbl 171
O: KADI FIRUCHI MAZ(DISN) "Fortunate Firuz the worshipper of Mazda"
R: mint mark RI on right and symbol in place of date on left.
AR Drachm 30 mm, 4.1 g, 9 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 26/CE 556-557
Göbl 198 v
AR Drachm 30 mm, 3.99 g, 3 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 42/CE 572-573
Göbl 198 v
AR Drachm 32 mm, 3.93 g, 3 h. Nishapur mint, Yr. 45/CE 575-576
Göbl 198 v
AR Drachm 30 mm, 3.81 g, 4 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 7/CE 585-586
Göbl 202
AR Drachm 32 mm, 3.91 g, 2 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 200 v
AR Drachm 29 mm, 3.84 g, 9 h. Ayran/Sush mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 200
AR Drachm 31 mm, 4.0 g, 3 h. Meshan mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 201 v
AR Drachm 31 mm, 4.0 g, 3 h. Bishapur mint, Yr. 12/CE 590
Göbl 202
All Ex: CNG 339:661 (19.11.14)
20150917
Byzantine/Anastasius CE 491-518
AE Follis, 30mm, 18.01g, 7h, Constantinople mint off. B or more likely E
Sear 19
O: diad draped bust r, DNANASTA----SIVSPPAVC
R: large M with cross atop, B or E below, stars to right and left and CON in ex.
Anastasius is well known for his achievements in finance that kept the Byzantine Empire in the black for some time to come after his death. Though he should also be remembered for his long life at a time when most people were fortunate to reach 30. Anastasius was born around CE 430 and died approximately 88 years later in CE 518. There are records of others who lived well past their "sell by dates" in antiquity, but Anastasius lived nearly three average life spans.
Anastasius wasn't the only person in antiquity that lived to a ripe old age. While were on the subject of long lives in antiquity, there is a fragmentary tombstone of a veteran of Legio II Augusta from Caerleon, UK that reads: "To the spirits of the departed. Julius Valens, veteran of the Second Legion Augusta, lived 100 years. Julia Secundina, his wife and Julius Martinus, his son, had set this up." It's thought that this stone dates from the early third century CE. (reference: page 142 of Wacher, J The Coming of Rome, London, RKP, 1979 a volume in the "Britain Before the Conquest" series).
20150902
ISLAMIC/Abbasid; al-Muqtadir AH 295-320/CE 908-932 (المقتدر بالله)
AR Dirham, 25mm, 4.76 g, 7h, likely Madinat as-Salam (Baghdad) mint AH 317/CE 929-930
Album 246.2
O: heir "Abul-'Abbas bin Amir al-Mu'minin" named
R: Caliph named as "al-Muqtadir billahi" in fourth line of central inscription.
ISLAMIC/Khwarezm Shahs; 'Ala ad-din Muhammad (علاءالدین محمد) CE 1200-1220; three Jitals
B
A & B are the same issues of the Rajput Bull type minted in Peshawar. Note two different obs and rev dies were utilized in the striking of these two examples.
both are Tye 293 v
and Album 1741
A is 16 mm and 2.98 g
B is 14 mm and 3.3 g
Tye 246
Album 1731.2
O: Kurz/uwan in center with As-Sultan al-'Azim Muhammad bin as-Sultan around
R; Shahada below Allah, and "an-Nasir" at bottom.
cf. Kurzuwan Mongol seige issues of similar type
20150827
IRAN/Parthia; Mithradates II BCE 123-88 Ex: Sellwood Collection
Sellwood 28.1
Shore 95
Sunrise 296
O: diad, draped bust l, wearing tiara with ear flap, long beard and torque ending in sea-horse
R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BA ΣIΛE[ΩN] MEΓAΛOV APΣAKOV/EΠIΦANOV, archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne, holding bow.
Ex: David Sellwood (1925-2012) Collection
Ex: Baldwin's 90 Sellwood I; portion lot 1154 (24 Sept 2014)
ISLAMIC/Ottoman; Selim II (Selīm-i sānī) CE1566-1574
Album 1324
20150826
IRAN/Parthia; Artabanos III (اردوان سوم) CE 10-38
AR Drachm 21mm, 3.76g, 12h, Ecbatana (Hamadan) mint
Shore 345 (Artabanos II)
Sellwood 63 type
O: diad hd of king left.
R: Arsakes enthroned with bow r, monogram for Ecbatana mint, multilined inscription top, bottow and sides, 8 lines. Appears to be in agreement with Shore.
20150819
US Civil War Era Penny
"Indian Head Penny" 1863 CuNi mintage 49,840,000 VF20
KM#90
Besides Gettysburg and the other domestic US events that occurred in 1863 it was also the year that French Chemist H. M. Mourries developed margarine. How's that for an obscure and otherwise overlooked event from a momentous and horribly bloody year.
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