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Drachm - Vologases VI
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 207-221 |
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| Currency | Drachm (247 BC-224 AD) |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Vologases VI facing left, wearing a distinctive Parthian helmet adorned with a crescent and star device atop the bowl, with elaborate earflaps and cheekguards rendered in fine relief. The king's eye is depicted in characteristic Parthian frontal style despite the profile orientation. A long diadem ribbon extends behind the neck, and the neckline of the royal garment is indicated by vertical striations at the base of the bust. The entire composition is set within a fine beaded border, with the flat field exhibiting the irregular flan typical of late Parthian hammered coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Vologases VI ruled during the terminal phase of Parthian power, sharing contested authority with his brother Artabanus IV for much of his reign. The fratricidal civil war that consumed both claimants ultimately exhausted Parthia's military capacity at precisely the wrong moment — Ardashir I of the Sasanians defeated and killed Artabanus in 224 AD, extinguishing the Arsacid dynasty entirely within a few years of this coin's last issues.
Sellwood 88.23 places this among the later emissions of Vologases VI's coinage from the Ecbatana mint.