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Drachm - Phraates - Kingdom of Elymais Arsacid Dynasty
| Issuer | Elymais |
|---|---|
| Year | 100-150 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of Phraates with a long, straight beard, wearing a diademed tiara adorned with two dotted crescents. The effigy is rendered in the debased late Elymaic style characteristic of the Arsacid dynasty period. In the upper field, a pellet is positioned within a crescent symbol, while an anchor with a single crossbar appears to the right of the bust. The overall style is schematic and heavily worn, consistent with struck billon coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Elymais, the semi-independent kingdom occupying the region around Susa and the lower Zagros foothills, produced coins of steadily declining silver content throughout the Arsacid period — a process well advanced by the early second century. By this point the local Arsacid rulers, nominally vassals of the Parthian empire but functionally autonomous, were striking in billon so debased that many surviving examples are copper in all but name. The kingdom was eventually absorbed by Ardashir I during his consolidation campaigns in the 220s, ending the dynasty entirely.