Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG)

Extremely Rare Stater of Andragoras, Usurper King of Parthia

Triton XVI, Lot: 550. Estimate $100000.

Sold for $62500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Andragoras. Usurper king of Parthia, circa 245-239/8 BC. AV Stater (16mm, 8.50 g, 6h). Diademed head right, drapery around neck; monogram to left / Nike, holding kentron in extended right hand, reins in left, driving fast quadriga right; behind her, warrior standing right; three pellets below horses’ forelegs, ANΔPAΓOPOY in exergue. BMC Arabia p. 193, 2; MIG Type 19; NAC 59, lot 652. EF, light scratch at edge of obverse, slight die shift on obverse. Extremely rare.

In a private collection in England since the 1990s, seen by Professor Osmund Bopearachchi in 1994, and reportedly from the second Mir Zakah deposit.

© CNG 2020

At least six gold staters of Andragoras are known, struck from one obverse die and two reverse dies. No. 1 below is struck from the same obverse die but a different reverse die as the present coin. Nos. 2-5 are struck from the same obverse and reverse dies as the present coin, which is no. 6:

  1. London. British Museum (acquired 1879): BMC Arabia, North East Persia No. 1, p. 193 (pl, xxviii, 1); NC 1879, p. 1, pl. I, 1; Head, Historia Numorum (2nd ed.), p. 825, fig. 361; Mitchiner Type 19 (illustrated on the right); ex Oxus Treasure.

  2. London. British Museum (acquired 1888): BMC Arabia, North East Persia No. 2, p. 193; Mitchiner Type 19 (illustrated on the left); ex Cunningham collection.

  3. Berlin. H. Dressel, ZfN 21 (1898), 231 (see http://www.smb.museum/ikmk/object.php?objectNR=0&size=0&content=0&side=1)

  4. Numismatica Ars Classica 59 (4 April 2011), lot 652; Paris Match magazine, 15-22 June 2005, p. 73.

  5. Private Collection, unpublished.

  6. Present coin.

Three Rare Kolchis Gold Staters

Triton XV, Lot: 1188. Estimate $1500.

Sold for $5000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KOLCHIS. 1st century BC. AV Stater (15mm, 3.52 g, 7h). Imitating Alexander III of Macedon. Stylized head of Athena right; ornaments around / Stylized Nike standing facing; three pellets at each side. Lang 4 var. (ornamentation); de la Tour 9377; Paulsen pl. 3, 47 var. (same); K. Golenko, “Kolchis” in Chiron 2, pp. 570–2. EF.

© CNG 2020