Catalog
Dichalkous - Orodes II
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 57 BC - 38 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Copper |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Diademed and bearded royal bust facing left, rendered in the Parthian artistic tradition with a short beard; a pellet-ended torque encircles the neck. The field is bordered by a neat circular arrangement of pellets, characteristic of Arsacid bronze coinage. The portrait exhibits a compact, stylized treatment of facial features consistent with the reign of Orodes II. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (57 BC - 38 BC) AT |
| Additional information |
Orodes II secured the Parthian throne by having his brother Mithridates III hunted down and killed, then went on to oversee the destruction of Crassus's legions at Carrhae in 53 BC — the single worst Roman military defeat in a generation. The dichalkous series attributed to his reign represents the fractional bronze coinage circulating at the lowest level of daily Parthian commerce, a denomination so humble that it rarely survived in identifiable condition.
Sellwood 45.40 places this piece within the broader Orodes II bronze sequence, though attributions across the dichalkous types remain contested due to die degradation and inconsistent flan preparation common to eastern mints of this period.