Drachm - Artabanus I Five line legend

Artabanus I came to power following the turbulent reigns of his predecessors during a period when the Parthian Empire was consolidating control over the Iranian plateau and pushing back against Seleucid interference from the west. His coinage marks a transitional moment in Parthian numismatic practice — the five-line legend arrangement on the reverse reflects an ongoing experimentation with how Arsacid kings presented royal titulature, a convention that would stabilize considerably in later reigns.

Sellwood 22.2 is attributed to the Ecbatana mint. The five-line legend format is notably less common than the four-line arrangement that dominates adjacent Sellwood types.