/biz/ - Business & Finance

>>56588679
>I don't know anything about the Elymaid kingdom, currently reading about them on wiki to have a QRD. There is a very sumerian/persian look to these coins, they must be quite rare!

Yeah I didn't know much about Elymais either, my knowledge and interest in coins/artifacts/history kinda peters-out once you go further east of Greek and then Roman dominated Asia Minor (modern Turkroachistan) but the collection has given me a great reason to learn more. Close to half of the collection consists of different coins from Elymais when the state was a vassal under Parthia, many seem very rare and a few may be unique (above ground) but demand is limited so values aren't anything to get too jelly over. Also lots of Indo-Parthian, Kushano-Sasanian and some other assorted pieces from that general part of the world.
>The large one on the top left is very impressive and well preserved.
The big silver coin? That's a Sasanian drachm of Kavad I, evidently struck sometime near the end of his 2nd reign which was AD 499-532.

Much more interesting and impressive is this high grade Kushano-Sasanian bronze struck by Ardashir I, the last king of the lowly vassal/tributary state of Persis (as Ardashir V) under the Parthians. After about a dozen years as the vassal king of Persis he got tired of their bullshit and took over Parthia himself around AD 224, which marked the founding the 400-year Zoroastrian Sasanian empire. The coin is in remarkable condition and appears to have original luster remaining in the fields which is ridiculous for a 1,800 year old copper/bronze coin, but maybe it came from a very well preserved cave hoard that was sealed in a jar like the dead sea scrolls. Whatever the story is it doesn't look like it was dipped in acids or chemicals, I like it.

>How much did you pay for the lot?
Total of 80 coins (I miscounted before) that he wanted $500 for, so I paid him with 2 10 ounce PG&G bars that cost me half of spot and some spare time. Pretty good deal eh?