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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,100 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
Yesterday Eng posted his Tabaristan silver so I showed my similar new coin from the fixed price section of Frank Robinson's sale. Prices were up for this sale so I only got one coin from the auction section and two fixed price items. The other fixed price coin was this hemidrachm of Persis attributed to Prince Y. There is really very little known about Persis. It appears that they made local coinage over a long period of time while subject to the Parthians. I found mention that they may have had some degree of autonomy due to their being the center of the Zoroastrian religion but I really know nothing. Prince Y is dated to the last part of the 1st century AD (but I don't know on what basis). I do know that these small silver coins come in many types and all were scarce enough to be expensive once but seem to be going down in recent years suggesting they found a large hoard. The reverse on this coin supposedly shows a double diadem. I believe there was legend on the reverse but few you see have much of it. This is my only coin of Persis and probably will remain so for a while unless Frank gets another batch of cheap ones of a different ruler. I note that there is no consensus of opinion on which side of the reverse is to be placed at the top.  Edited by dougsmit
12/04/2012 6:40 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4973 Posts |
now that is interesting...very parthian looking, but what a neat reverse. great pick up DS!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Interesting. What is the size and weight?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Interesting Doug, I was looking at purchasing some coins of Prince "C" a while back. The seller believed that the obverse image was that of the ruling Parthian king of the time. These I believe are like obol sized correct, approx. 0.5grams fine silver? I almost went pulled the trigger on one but was burnt so I didn't, alass that will change now that I have seen yours. These coins are rather expensive though considering the size and the amount of detail. As for the obverse the one I was looking had a portrait on the front and a different one on the back.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
This is really a nice looking coin.
I like the way the art design is related front to back.
Good eye,Congrats.
Edited by Doucet
12/04/2012 7:53 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1549 Posts |
12mm 1.09g. That seems a bit low to call a hemidrachm. Mine is fully cleaned new hoard and considerably worn. Frank Robinson sold them for $23.95 which is a fraction of what I've seen in the distant past but condition is a factor and the expensive ones have less wear. I believe it is pushing the matter to say whether the portrait is the Parthian king or another guy from the region at the same time. The portrait is not all the lifelike. It is a guy with big nose and pointy beard. I suspect a lot of guys looked like that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1316 Posts |
This is way cool, nice to see so many different coins..nice.. |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Doug => I loved this coin (mainly because it wasn't another Sept-Serv) ahahaha, just kidding => no, I really thought that this coin was pretty cool ... and that it was out of your comfort-zone, so again, I thought "wow, dougsmit is kinda cool" ... ... but just for a sec  |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
It does seem to be a more playful coin. I like the art of it a great deal. The figure does almost look to be a caricature. I suppose big noses and pointy beards sort of lean toward cartoons, so there's that.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,100 |
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Posted 12/04/2012 7:26 pm
