12110

Kingdom of Persis. Bagadat. Early 2nd century

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
Kingdom of Persis. Bagadat. Early 2nd century
Kingdom of Persis. Bagadat. Early 2nd century B.C. AR tetradrachm (30 mm, 16.98 g). Head right, wearing kyrbasia (satrapal cap) with flaps tied up / Bagadat enthroned left, holding sceptre in right hand, cup in left; standard before. Cf. Alram 511; BMC Arabia p. 195, 1. Toned, good VF, obverse a little rough. Very rare and impressive. Asserting his independence from the debilitated Seleukid kingdom at the same time that the Parthians and Baktrians carved out their kingdoms, Bagadat issued this interesting proclamation tetradrachm showing his investiture. The design, a blend of Persian and Greek imagery, is a powerful expression of Hellenistic flair, and the throne on the reverse is directly copied from Alexander's tetradrachms struck in the region. This first tetradrachm issue from Persis seems to have been short-lived, soon replaced with the common reverse depicting the king before a fire altar, a type the variations of which dominated Persian coinage through the Sasanian period and signified a devotion to Zoroastrianism. Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.