Sassanide, maybe ? Kingdom of Persis, Ardashir II

Started by Figleaf, April 12, 2012, 02:46:00 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Figleaf

Our French-speaking friends have long been puzzled by this object. It is believed to be silver and was acquired in the Iranian province of Fars. The owner believes it to be possibly Sassanidian or first century BC.

If there had been two priests with the altar, I would have been happy to support the Sassanidian theory. As it is, I don't know. Shot in the dark: Chandragupta?

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

akona20

The one attendant is the problem. Two attendants no problems, no attendants no problem, one attendant,  HMMM.

Guillaume Hermann

#2
No more idea ?
Conférences à l'école, collectivité, ou domicile, avec mes objets de collection manipulables par le public, sur des sujets d'Histoire et SVT.
https://le-musee-en-classe.jimdosite.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551887348487
https://www.linkedin.com/company/le-musée-en-classe/about/

akona20

Have just reviewed this and can't help again, sorry. The flan looks thick which presents some problems but I am unable to find anything close across central Asia and the northern sub continent.

Guillaume Hermann

Ok, no problem ;) Thank you.
Conférences à l'école, collectivité, ou domicile, avec mes objets de collection manipulables par le public, sur des sujets d'Histoire et SVT.
https://le-musee-en-classe.jimdosite.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551887348487
https://www.linkedin.com/company/le-musée-en-classe/about/

THCoins

I don't think it is a priest, but a king with sceptre standing left in front of fire altar.

My guess: Hemidrachm, kingdom of Persis, 1st century BC (thus pre-Sassanid)  ?

For more specific date and ruler we would need the other side also.

Figleaf

Thanks TH. Sounds promising. Either the owner has posted a new picture, or I missed the other side the first time around, so here it is with both sides. The original thread is here. The owner also says it was found around Chiraz, between Abadeh and Jahrom, on a shepherd's trail.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

THCoins

Have you horizontally flipped the side with the kings head ?
For it looks like Ardeshir II but i believe almost all of the Persis rulers are facing left.

Figleaf

#8
The picture is as in the original thread (see link above.) I can't answer for the owner, but it doesn't seem rational to play games with the picture if you want the coin identified... I see your point, though. On the coins where the portrait faces left, there is one attendant, while when the portrait faces right, there are either zero or two attendants. I'll ask the owner (hoping he's still around.)

I think you are VERY close.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Guillaume Hermann

I am sorry, contacting the owner is impossible. He has never been a member, came only for this coin, just gave his first name, no way contacting, and it was in 2005. Let's continue for culture, but not for the owner!
Conférences à l'école, collectivité, ou domicile, avec mes objets de collection manipulables par le public, sur des sujets d'Histoire et SVT.
https://le-musee-en-classe.jimdosite.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551887348487
https://www.linkedin.com/company/le-musée-en-classe/about/

paisepagal

I don't know much about these coins...but that definitely look like the holy fire mounted in a pedestal-vessel like object as one would see at any Parsi Agyari here in Bombay

THCoins

#11
If you draw a circumference line around the side shown on the left and rotate it approx. 12 degrees clockwise it fits nicely over the side shown on the right, including alignment of the edge defects. So i stand with my view that the king looks the wrong way and the photo has probably been flipped horizontally by the owner.
My attribution remains the same Ardeshir II, wich i believe also was brought forward on the numismatique forum.  ( Ardeshir II and Artaxerxes II are different names given to the same king).
There is an even nicer other example than the one already shown here on the coinarchives site, in which the
text similarities seem fairly perfect. This is a 22 mm Drachme piece.
(don't know if i can deeplink but it was found as :


Figleaf

Saved the picture, before Coinarchives puts it behind bars. You convinced me, TH and I believe our French-speaking friends agree with you also. Excellent determination. Thank you.

Paise, on this coin, the King is in a fire temple, like a Parsi Agyari. The altar is a Zoroastrian device. I just learned from Wikipedia, that in Mumbai, a parsi is a Zoroastrian. There is probably a common root with "Persia" and parsi (the language.) Those Parsi Agyari evidently are an ancient tradition.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Guillaume Hermann

Conférences à l'école, collectivité, ou domicile, avec mes objets de collection manipulables par le public, sur des sujets d'Histoire et SVT.
https://le-musee-en-classe.jimdosite.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551887348487
https://www.linkedin.com/company/le-musée-en-classe/about/

akona20

I would just go ummm at this stage. Ardeshir II coins especially the gold are often faked and there is some interest in the silver.

The picture of the sttribution demonstration shows the image facing left which is rather rare from my knowledge as these always faced either right or very occasionaly front on.

The turreted crown was used by a small number of rulers including Ardeshir 1 and Ardeshir 11 if we believe the coins. so we need to find such an alter with the king facing right.