Watch List notes:

GREEK COINS
Persis

Baydād (Bagadat), governor, c. 280 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 20mm, 16.30g 7), Persepolis. Diademed and bearded head of Baydād to right, with luxuriant mustache; wearing kyrbasia or satrapal hat, and pendant earring. Rev. bgdt prtrk'ZY ALHYA bgwrt pkh Fire Temple; to left, Baydād standing right in attitude of prayer; to right, standard. Alram 515. Klose/Müseler 2/3. Very rare. Bright and very well struck in the usual strongly convex/concave manner. A few very minor marks and a hint of double striking on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the Sunrise Collection.
Native Persian coinage began again in Iran late in the first quarter of the 3rd century as issues of the local 'governors' under Seleucid authority. Baydād (previously transcribed as Bagadat) was the first of those rulers to strike coins, including tetradrachms like this one as well as fractional issues (he also produced an earlier series showing him enthroned). What is both attractive and exciting about this coinage is its blending of truly Persian iconography with Greek techniques.