Important Parthian and Parthia-related Coins
in Triton V, January 2002 (CNG 59)

The images on this page are used with the kind permission of Classical Numismatic Group. Please see the printed Triton V catalog for the auctioneer's description of these coins.

The attributions and cataloging of Parthian coins used throughout this web site follow David Sellwood's An Introduction to the Coinage of Parthia (1980, 2nd edition) for consistency. The few exceptions to this policy are explained here.

• The auction contains 299 Parthian tetradrachms:
  • Phraates II (24 coins with 5 photographed)
    • 24 - Sellwood 17.1
  • Interregnal issue (c. 127-125 B.C.), now tentatively attributed to Bagasis, including only the second published example that bears a date (41 coins with 10 photographed)
    • 41 - Sellwood 18.1
  • Artabanus I (51 coins with 16 photographed)
    • 3 - Sellwood 21.1
    • 4 - Sellwood 21.2
    • 1 - Sellwood 21.2 variant (Η cut over Π)
    • 13 - Sellwood 21.3
    • 1 - Sellwood 21.3 variant (Η cut over Π)
    • 2 - Sellwood 21.4
    • 11 - Sellwood 21.4 variant (with horse head monogram)
  • Mithradates II(?) -- coins that David Sellwood now believes may be misattributed, and others have suggested is one of Mithradates' brothers known to have been killed in battle (all 4 coins photographed)
    • 4 - Sellwood 23.2
  • Mithradates II (178 coins with 26 photographed)
    • 17 - Sellwood 24.1
    • 81 - Sellwood 24.4
    • 38 - Sellwood 24.4 variant (no palm)
    • 16 - Sellwood 24.5
    • 1 - Sellwood 24.5 variant (monogram in exergue)
  • Artabanus III (1 coin photographed)
    • 1 - Sellwood 74.2
• In addition to the tetradrachms, four smaller Parthian coins are illustrated in the catalog:
  • an Arsaces I hemidrachm, one of only two published examples
  • a rare Sellwood 2.1 Arsaces I drachm, one of only ten known
  • an AE tetrachalkous of Mithradates II, Sellwood 24.34 (note: in Session 1)
  • a drachm of Vologases V, Sellwood 86.3

The printed Triton V catalog, Session 2-5, contains the article, "A Remarkable Offering of Early Parthian Tetradrachms" by David Sellwood (page 118) which describes the nature and significance of the early tetradrachms.

This page last updated 13 Mar 2021