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Drachm - Phraates III
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 62 BC - 58 BC |
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| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Obverse description | Bearded bust of Phraates III facing left, wearing an elaborate tiara adorned with a row of stags in relief; the hair is rendered in wavy locks falling behind the ear, and a short beard is visible below. The king is draped, with fine drapery visible at the shoulder. A Greek legend encircles the bust in the field, partially visible along the left and upper periphery. The portrait exhibits the bold, naturalistic style characteristic of late Parthian royal coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ |
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| Additional information |
Phraates III came to power around 70 BC with Tigranes of Armenia and Mithridates VI of Pontus pressing hard on Parthian borders, and he survived by playing Rome against both. His diplomatic correspondence with both Pompey and Lucullus — each commanding Roman armies in the East — kept Parthia intact while its neighbors collapsed. The years covered by this issue coincide almost exactly with Pompey's final settlement of the East after Mithridates' suicide in 63 BC, a realignment that established the Euphrates as the boundary Parthia would defend for generations.
Sellwood 39.12 belongs to a late phase of his coinage distinguished by a specific diadem treatment and die axis consistency that makes attribution reasonably secure even on worn flans.