Catalog
Æ Tetradrachm - Maga
| Issuer | Characene, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 195-215 |
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| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Male head facing right, distinguished by a pointed beard and hair arranged in six thick, prominently rendered rolls, with an elongated plait extending along the top of the head. The bold, stylized treatment of the hair is characteristic of Characene bronze coinage and reflects local adaptations of Parthian artistic conventions. The field surrounding the portrait is plain, with no visible legend or exergual inscription. |
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| Mintage | ND (195-215) |
| Additional information |
Characene, the semi-autonomous kingdom centered on Charax Spasinou at the head of the Persian Gulf, occupied an awkward political position between Parthia and Rome — nominally Parthian in allegiance but commercially oriented toward both empires simultaneously. Maga ruled during a period when this balancing act was becoming increasingly untenable, as Septimius Severus was actively campaigning in Mesopotamia. Bronze tetradrachms of this kingdom are genuinely scarce; Characene's output was modest and the region's climate has not been kind to surviving specimens.