Catalog
Drachm - Phraates V
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 2 BC - 4 AD |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | The idealized figure of Arsakes I, the dynastic founder and divine ancestor of the Parthian royal line, is depicted seated right upon an omphalos throne, holding a strung bow in his right hand — the emblematic reverse type of Parthian coinage. The Aramaic or Parthian mint control mark ИI (Nisa) appears below the bow. An additional symbol is placed behind the throne in the field. The composition follows the long-established Arsacid reverse convention, emphasizing dynastic continuity and legitimacy. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Phraates V — known to ancient sources as Phraataces — came to power by murdering his own father, Phraates IV, with the help of his mother Musa, an Italian slave-girl Augustus had sent east as a diplomatic gift. The two then married, a union that scandalized even Parthian court sensibilities and eventually drove the nobility to expel them both around 4 AD.
Sellwood 56.14 falls within the tighter chronological bracket of his short reign, struck at the Mithradatkart mint.