Parthian Empire: Vologases III (ca. 105-147 CE) AR Drachm, Ekbatana Mint

Started by Quant.Geek, January 15, 2015, 08:01:53 PM

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Quant.Geek

Parthian Empire: Vologases III (ca. 105-147 CE) AR Drachm, Ekbatana Mint (Sellwood-78.4)

Obv: Bust left with long pointed beard, wearing double banded diadem with double loop and three pendent ends, spiral torque, earring visible, dotted border
Rev: Archer enthroned right, monogram below bow, seven-line Greek inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩN ΑΡΣΑΚΟY EYEPΓETOY ΔΙΚΑΙΟY ΕΠIΦΑNOYΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ stylized

Former collection of the MoneyMuseum, Zurich

A high-resolution image of this coin is available at FORVM Ancient Coins

A gallery of my coins can been seen at FORVM Ancient Coins

Figleaf

Although this is such a sharply struck, beautifully preserved, museum quality coin, I am totally lost trying to read the texts. I believe you when you say there are seven lines, but I see six. I can't even figure out which side of the letters are up. Well, 700 years after Alexander the Great, you can't expect the Persians to write Greek like he did, but I hadn't expected this (and even less the title PHILELLINOS).

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

Ancientnoob

Now that's an awesome example. You could cut yourself on the details! Sharp!
"Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it."

- Publius Syrius

JMP

Yes, as from Artabanus I, the Parthians began to use this kind of "stylised" Greek.
They did not write just anything. Most of the time they used the same symbols for the same replaced Greek letters.
However, they did not seem to see much difference between Σ,Ι and Ρ. And with Κ and Ν there were some difficulties too: