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Drachm - Ardakhshir II
| Issuer | Persis, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 40 BC - 5 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Ardashir II facing left in high relief, exhibiting a short beard and wearing a diadem with four pendant ties. The effigy is adorned with a torque composed of four segments and a mural crown, lending the portrait a regal and ceremonial character. A dynastic symbol appears in the field behind the bust. The style is characteristic of late Persis kingdom coinage, combining Hellenistic portraiture conventions with indigenous Iranian royal iconography. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The kings of Persis occupied a peculiar position in the late Achaemenid and post-Achaemenid world — nominally subordinate to the Seleucids and later the Parthians, yet issuing their own coinage throughout, a quiet assertion of regional autonomy that neither overlord fully suppressed. Ardakhshir II ruled during the period when Parthian power under the Arsacids was firmly established, making the continued independent coinage of Persis an act of political stubbornness as much as economic necessity.
Alram 570 and Sunrise 598 place this type within a well-documented sequence, though die linkage studies have shown the series to be more internally complex than early catalogs suggested.