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Drachm - Phraates II
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 128 BC - 127 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm (247 BC-224 AD) |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
| Reverse lettering | BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓ-ΑΛΟΥ / ΑΡ-ΣΑΚΟΥ ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ |
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| Additional information |
Phraates II inherited a Parthian kingdom already stretched by his father Mithridates I's rapid conquests, and his brief reign ended when he was killed fighting the Tokharian (Saka) tribes he had himself invited as mercenaries against the Seleucid king Antiochus VII Sidetes — a catastrophic miscalculation. Antiochus had invaded Mesopotamia in 130 BC with one of the largest Seleucid armies fielded in generations, only to be defeated and killed at the Battle of the Great Zab in 129 BC.
Sellwood 16.1 places this issue at the opening of Phraates' independent coinage following that victory, making the type historically tight to a single decisive military moment.