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Drachm - Artabanus IV Billon
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
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| Year | 224-227 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Artabanus IV facing left, wearing a distinctive Parthian helmet adorned with a tall domed crown decorated with a central vertical ridge and horizontal bands, secured by long diadem ties flowing behind the neck. The king's beard is rendered in fine parallel lines, and the effigy is draped in a cloak visible at the shoulder. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. A short Aramaic legend appears in the field. |
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| Reverse script | Aramaic, Greek |
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| Additional information |
Artabanus IV is a figure who exists in the awkward margin of historiography — either the last Parthian king or a desperate pretender, depending on which ancient source you trust. By the time these drachms were struck, Ardashir I had already crushed Artabanus at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224 AD, ending four centuries of Arsacid rule. The billon composition itself is telling: late Parthian coinage had been debasing for decades, and these final issues reflect a treasury under severe military strain.
Sellwood 89.4 is among the last attributed to him, struck from a kingdom that had effectively ceased to exist.