A boldly struck tetradrachm of Autophradates
Lot 3621
KINGS OF PERSIS. Autophradates (Vadfradad) I, early 3rd or early 2nd century BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 29 mm, 16.84 g, 4 h), Istakhr (Persepolis). Head of Vadfradad I to right, wearing kyrbasia, diadem and earring. Rev. Fire-temple of Ahura-Mazda; above, half-figure of Ahura-Mazda to left; to left, King standing right, his hands raised in adoration; to right, standard. Alram 540 and 542 var. Klose & Müseler 2/17 var. Sunrise 569. Van't Haaff 540/542. Boldly struck in high relief. Harshly cleaned and with faint scratches, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the Asha & Ardeshir Dabestani Collection, ex Pars E-Auction 1, 8 April 2019, 89.


The dating of the earliest coinage of the Kings of Persis is one of the most controversial issues in Seleukid-Iranian history. Based on the overstrikes of Persian coins on emissions of Alexander III and Seleukos I, some authors postulate a two-part Persian coinage, with the early part falling into the early 3rd century and a later part falling into the 2nd century. Another school of thought, based on archaeological, historiographical, and iconographic evidence, posits an uninterrupted coinage, beginning with the weakening of Seleukid power after the death of Antiochos III (222-187 BC) in the early 2nd century.
Starting price:
250 CHF
Hammer price:
950 CHF
Bid increment:
Closed
Minimum bid:
Closed
Number of bids:
Time left:
Closing time: 16-Jul-24, 12:11:00 CEST
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee.

Cookies

We use cookies to enhance your online experience. By using our website, you accept our data privacy policy and the use of cookies.
Cart
Disconnected

Connection lost

You have lost your connection. Because we present current bids in real-time, your browser may display outdated or incorrect bidding information.

Please check your network connection and try again. We recommend refreshing the website to display the accurate bidding information again.