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Æ Tetradrachm - Attambelos IV
| Issuer | Characene, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 53-56 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Diademed head of Attambelos IV facing right, clean-shaven, rendered in the Hellenistic tradition with fine portraiture typical of Characenian royal coinage. The diadem is depicted with characteristic ribbon ends. A countermark is applied to the neck area, a common feature of circulating bronze issues from this kingdom. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Characene was a semi-autonomous kingdom controlling the head of the Persian Gulf, and its rulers navigated carefully between Parthian overlordship and the lucrative Indian Ocean trade routes that ran through Charax Spasinu. Attambelos IV ruled during a period of relative Parthian stability under Vologases I, which likely accounts for the uninterrupted three-year run this issue represents.
BMC Greek 3 is among the better-documented attributions for this ruler, though Characene bronzes of this period are notoriously difficult to sequence precisely — die studies remain incomplete, and hoards from the region are rarely published with full provenance.