The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

COINS FROM CENTRAL ASIA. 9
The types of the present coin are of an unusually inter-
esting character. The turreted head of the obverse may
probably be that of the ru^, or genius of a city. Does
this imply that the city which issued the coin was not
directly subject to Andragoras, but had merely accepted
his protection ? This would seem probable, and in that
case the coin would be the earliest specimen of the civic
coinage which continued, during the whole period of Parthian
hegemony in Asia, to be issued by semi-Greek
cities of interior Asia. On the later issues of coins of this
class the head of the Parthian King is seldom wanting ;
but the city makes her appearance on the reverse presenting
a wreath to the seated monarch. 1 The turreted head
on our coin closely resembles that on the money of Mara-
thus and of Smyrna, being unveiled, whereas the similar
head on coins of Seleucia, Aradus, and other cities is
veiled. The monogram \ffi is the same which occurs on
the gold coin of Andragoras already published.
found on money of Antiochus VI. 2
It is also
It seems impossible,
in the present state of our knowledge, to extract any
exacter information from this monogram.
The reverse-type is very carefully executed, and although
of provincial work, not without merit. The folds of the
mantle, ip-dnov, are rendered in detail and with some
skill. It is most unusual to find on coins a figure of
Pallas with such mantle, the goddess usually wearing
only the chiton and aegis. Exceptions occur, however,
in Thessaly.
With this figure it is very instructive to compare the
Pallas which appears on the coins of Side. 8 Here the
1
See my Parthian Coinage, p. 21, &c.
8 Cat. Seleitcid.e, p. 98.
3 De Luynes, 3>'inn. des Satrapies, pi. iii.
VOL. I. THIRD SERIES. C