A Parthian Tiara-Type Tet Obsession

Well, they say admitting you have a problem is the first step towards a cure...Not that I want to be cured.

Just received the tetradrachm below. It was struck in December 78 AD. Sellwood lists this as Vologases II, a Parthian ruler about whom little is known. Volo II apparently claimed the Parthian throne concurrently to Pakoros II, who eventually won the power struggle. The recently released Sylloge Nummorum Parthicorum re-attributes this as an issue of Vologases I. Either way - standard attribution or the newly revised one, it is pretty rare and I've wanted to snag one for a long time.



Now, this coin looks identical in almost every way to later Vologases III tets, except for the year in Greek on the reverse. Both obverse and reverse also look quite similar to some issues of Pakoros.

I guess I have a thing for these tiara-type tetradrachms from this period in the kingdom's history (late 1st century through mid-2nd century). I think the reason is that, for me, these are perhaps the quintessential Parthian types...when I think of the term "Parthian coin" this is what comes to mind before any other types.

It probably seems redundant to collect so many of these when the variations - mint monograms and years and such - are so subtle. But I still look out for them...what can I say? It doesn't make much sense, but I enjoy them - even when they're in rough shape, and even if they look so similar to one another.

Showing only obverses of these coins below. First coin in the first row is Pakoros II, 78 - 105 AD. All others are Volo III's, 105 - 147 AD.