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Drachm - Phraates - Kingdom of Elymais Arsacid Dynasty
| Issuer | Kingdom of Elymais |
|---|---|
| Year | 100-150 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing bearded bust of the ruler, depicted frontally in the Parthian tradition, wearing a diademed tiara adorned with two dotted crescents. To the right of the effigy, a pellet and crescent appear above an anchor, a dynastic symbol of the Arsacid line. The style is characteristic of the late Elymaean series, showing a degenerate rendering of earlier Parthian portraiture. The flan is irregular and the die work is notably crude, consistent with the debased coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (100-150) |
| Additional information |
Elymais, occupying the highland territory northeast of Susa, functioned as a semi-autonomous client kingdom under Parthian suzerainty for much of its history, issuing its own coinage in a tradition that grew increasingly debased as the dynasty progressed. By the time of Phraates — a name shared by several Elymaean rulers, making precise attribution within the dynasty notoriously difficult — the silver content had degraded substantially into billon, reflecting either fiscal pressure or deliberate royal policy mirroring broader monetary debasement across the Parthian sphere.
The multiple BMC references suggest ongoing scholarly uncertainty about which specific Phraates struck this type.