Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 605. Estimate $15000.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $15500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of PERSIS. Bagadat (Bayadad). Early-mid 3rd century BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.92 gm, 6h). Head right, with short beard, moustache, and earring, wearing satrapal cap (kyrbasia) with flaps tied behind / Bagadat enthroned left, wearing long cloak and kyrbasia, holding sceptre and cup, standard to left, Aramaic legend at sides and in exergue. Alram 511; De Morgan pg. 397, 1; MACW -; BMC Arabia pg. 195, 1 (no exergual legend visible). Good VF, toned, slight roughness on obverse. Very rare. ($15,000)

The first tetradrachm of the kings of Persis is in the nature of a proclamation piece. Bagadat, scion of a noble family from Persepolis, proclaims his independence at the same time as the Parthians under Arsakes and the Baktrians under Euthydemos were carving territories out of the faltering Seleukid empire. The first coins of Bagadat were masterpieces of Persian imagery filtered through Greek artistry, and Bagadat's visage, both on the obverse and the reverse investiture scene, are equal to the best Hellenistic work in portraiture. On another note, the throne on which he rests is taken directly from the throne of Zeus on the eastern tetradrachms of Alexander the Great.