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Drachm - Arsaces I Mithradatkart
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 247 BC - 211 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm (247 BC-224 AD) |
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| Reverse description | Arsaces I enthroned in three-quarter view to the right, seated on an omphalos throne, holding a strung bow in his right hand — a symbol of Parthian royal and military authority. The figure wears a tunic and trousers in the Iranian nomadic tradition. The Greek legend ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ (of Arsaces) appears in the field, accompanied by the Aramaic monogram ΜΤ denoting the mint of Mithradatkart; the inscription may read from inside or outside depending on the die variety. |
| Reverse script | Greek/Aramaic |
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| Additional information |
Arsaces I founded the Parthian kingdom around 247 BC after leading the Parni tribe in revolt against the Seleucid satrap Andragoras, and these early drachms were struck at Mithradatkart — a mint city whose precise location remains disputed among scholars, variously placed in Astarabad or the Nisa region of modern Turkmenistan. The Sellwood 3 type sits at the very origin of Parthian coinage, making attributions genuinely difficult; die links between Sellwood 1 through 4 suggest a small, centralized operation producing relatively few coins for a newly established polity still consolidating territory.
Surviving examples are rare by any measure.