196, Lot: 67. Estimate $300. Sold for $950. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PARTHIA. Arsakes I. 247-211 BC. AR Drachm (16mm, 4.03 g, 12h). Asaak mint(?). Head left, wearing bashlyk / Archer seated right on throne, holding bow; A below bow. Assar, Genealogy, fig. 5; A&S Type 5, dies 25/1; Sellwood 5.1 (Arsakes II); Shore 3 (Arsakes II). VF, toned.

Ex Gorny & Mosch 130 (8 March 2004), lot 1343 (as Arsakes II).

The Sellwood S5 drachms, formerly attributed to Arsakes II, can now be added to the S1-4 drachms because of the extensive muling of their reverse dies with the obverses of the S3 and S4 drachms. The differences in the fabric and style of S5 and S3-S4 drachms and the presence of the monogram A, probably for the city of Asaak (mentioned by Isodore of Charax), strongly suggests that they are the products of at least two different mints. (See G.R.F. Assar, "Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, I" Parthica 6 [2004] and "Genealogy and Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II" Parthica 7 [2005]. His conclusions have been corroborated by D. Sellwood.)