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Drachm - Mithridates II
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 96 BC - 93 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.99 g |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing bust of Mithridates II in high relief, depicted with a long, pointed beard and wearing an elaborate tiara adorned with multiple rows of pellets and a central rosette motif, secured by a diadem with long flowing ties visible behind the neck. The king is draped in a richly ornamented garment decorated with pellet and annulet designs. The portrait is rendered in the distinctive Parthian artistic style, with strong, naturalistic facial features. The field is plain, with no surrounding legend on this side. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Mithridates II ruled the Parthian Empire at its territorial peak, having pushed west into Mesopotamia and east toward India while simultaneously extracting tribute from Armenian kings — Tigranes the Great among them, held as a royal hostage at the Parthian court for roughly two decades. The coinage of his reign is consequently extensive, spanning multiple mint cities and die phases, which Sellwood divided into numbered types tracking the king's evolving portrait style over time.
Sellwood 28.7 falls within the later issues of his reign, a period when Parthian mints were producing at high volume to fund ongoing western campaigns. Sunrise 300 cross-references confirm the type's attribution firmly within the Ekbatana mint series.