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Drachm - Arsaces XVI Six lines legend
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 78 BC - 62 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The enthroned archer motif appears on the reverse, depicting Arsaces I seated right on an omphalos throne, holding a strung bow in his right hand — the emblematic Parthian dynastic type. The mintname KATACTRATEIA appears to the right of the central figure. A six-line Greek legend is arranged in a rectangular format surrounding the archer in the field, identifying the king by his royal titulature. The composition retains the characteristic Arsacid reverse design derived ultimately from Seleucid coinage traditions. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΑΤΕΙΑ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ |
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| Additional information |
Arsaces XVI — known to Greek sources as Mithradates III — ruled during one of the more turbulent succession crises in Arsacid history, his reign bracketed by challenges from brothers and the persistent pressure of a Seleucid world already in collapse. The six-line reverse legend on Sellwood 30 types reflects the Parthian court's continued investment in Greek administrative language, a deliberate policy rather than mere habit, signaling legitimacy to the heavily Hellenized urban populations of Mesopotamia and Media.
Sellwood 30.18 is among the later die progressions of this reign, struck from a mint most scholars associate with Rhagae.