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Drachm - Artabanus II Ekbatana
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 10-38 |
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| Currency | Drachm (247 BC-224 AD) |
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| Reverse description | Arsakes I, the dynastic founder, enthroned in three-quarter view to the right, seated upon an omphalos throne. He holds a strung bow in his right hand, the bow extending toward his knee, serving as the emblematic symbol of Arsacid dynastic authority. A monogram appears in the field below the bow. The surrounding Greek legend, arranged in two concentric arcs, records the full royal titulature of the issuing king. |
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| Mint | Ekbatana |
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| Additional information |
Artabanus II spent much of his reign in open conflict with Rome and with rival Parthian claimants — Vonones I briefly displaced him entirely, forcing Artabanus to reconquer his own throne with Dahae tribal backing around 10 AD. The Ekbatana mint, one of the oldest continuously operating facilities in the ancient Near East, was strategically vital precisely because it sat on the royal road connecting the western and eastern halves of the empire.
Sellwood 61.7 falls within a series showing progressive portrait degradation common to the later Ekbatana output of this reign.