Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 768. Estimate $150.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $240. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PARTHIA. Vologases III. Circa AD 105-147. AR Drachm (3.65 g, 1h). Ekbatana mint. Diademed bust left, wearing short beard, earring, and spiral torque; all within pelleted border / (quadrate O)ΛIIΛI-[Λ(three-bar Σ)]/(quadrate O)ΛIIΛI-ΛN ΛI- IΛN[(quadrate O)V]/[IV]IIΓIT[(quadrate O)V] ΔIXΛI(quadrate O)V [I]ΠIΦΛN(quadrate O)V(three-bar Σ)/[ΦI]ΛIΛΛHX(quadrate O)[(three-bar Σ)] (sic), archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne, holding bow; monogram below bow. Sellwood 78.1; Shore -; PDC 39799 (this coin). Good VF, toned.

From the Todd A. Ballen Collection. Ex Dr. Robert Gonnella Collection (Peus 388, 1 November 2006), lot 648; Bellaria Collection, (Triton VII, 13 January 2004), lot 495; Dr. Mesrop Abgarians Collection (Malter 51, 2 June 1993), lot 323.

Vologases III entered the field of contenders for the kingship late in the reign of Pakoros II, and achieved dominance by 105 AD. His reign, long by the standards of this period of Parthian history, was primarily consumed with defending his position from a number of challengers, many of whom struck their own coins: Osroes I, Mithradates V, and an unknown king. Osroes proved a strong challenge, securing Mesopotamia for himself, and relegating Vologases to his base in Iran. In 129 AD, Vologases appears to have finished with Osroes, but then Mithradates IV siezed control of Iran. He was succeeded in 147 by Vologases IV, apparently a son of Mithradates V.