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Drachm - Arsaces XVI
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 78 BC - 62 BC |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and bearded bust of Arsaces XVI facing left, rendered in the Hellenistic tradition with wavy, layered hair swept back behind the ear. A plain diadem encircles the head, with the ends falling behind the neck. The neck torque terminates in a pellet at its lower extremity. The portrait is bold and deeply struck in high relief, with strong facial features including a prominent nose and full beard, characteristic of late Parthian royal portraiture. A beaded border frames the entire field. |
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| Mintage | ND (78 BC - 62 BC) |
| Additional information |
The attribution of this type has generated persistent disagreement among specialists. Sellwood catalogued it under an unknown king; Shore assigned it to Orodes I; more recent scholarship has proposed Sinatruces or his immediate successors. The problem is dynastic — the Parthian succession between roughly 80 and 57 BC involved multiple claimants, co-regencies, and at least one civil conflict between rival branches of the Arsacid house, making reign assignments dependent almost entirely on hoards whose findspots are rarely well-documented.
Sunrise 316 represents the most current reference consensus, though the debate is far from closed.