90, Lot: 47. Estimate $50. Sold for $62. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PARTHIA. Artabanos III. 10-38 AD. Æ "Drachm" (17mm, 3.32 gm). Margiane mint. Diademed bust left, square-cut beard, straight hair; Nike flying [before and] behind, crowning him / Arsakes I seated right on throne, holding bow; P below bow. Sellwood 62.12 (Artabanos II); Shore -; BMC Parthia pg. 138, 15 (Phraatakes). Good Fine, dark brown patina. Rare.

From the Bellaria Collection.

In response to the recent unconventional regimes of Phraatakes and Vonones, Artabanos was an ardent traditionalist. His coinage retruned to the customary styles, except that his legends omitted the title "Philhellene" -- although a time-honored title in Parthia, it was now viewed as a tie to the west that Artabanos no longer desired. Although a powerful king who increased the central authority of his kingdom, his reign was rife with internal civil wars. Forced to flee twice, he nevertheless was always able to regain his throne. The circumstances of his death in 38 AD are unknown. Artabanos had made threats against Rome, even suggesting he aimed to reconquer the territory of the Achaemenids, but his anti-western views never translated to military action due to his constant attention to internal struggles.