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Drachm - Vologases I Aramaic letters
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 51-78 |
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| Reference(s) | Sellwood#71.1 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Aramaic |
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| Reverse description | The enthroned archer motif appears, depicting the king or deity seated right on a throne, drawing a bow. A dynastic monogram is placed in the field below the bow. The design is surrounded by a seven-line Greek legend arranged in the field, carrying the full royal titulature of the Arsacid dynasty. The reverse inscription fills much of the available field in the characteristic late Parthian style with dense lettering. |
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| Additional information |
Vologases I is notable for being the first Parthian ruler to officially promote Aramaic script on coinage, a deliberate cultural and administrative shift away from the Greek legends that had appeared on Parthian drachms for nearly two centuries. This wasn't merely aesthetic — it reflected his broader effort to reassert Iranian identity against Roman cultural pressure during a reign consumed by repeated conflict over Armenia and periodic challenges from rival claimants within the dynasty itself.
Sellwood 71.1 places this issue among the earliest of his Aramaic-legend types, struck at Ecbatana.