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Obol - Uncertain King II
| Issuer | Persis, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 70-100 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Obol (⅙) |
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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 | Bearded male bust facing left, wearing a distinctive satrapal headdress adorned with radiating striations and a prominent diadem with long flowing ties descending behind the neck. The facial features are rendered in a schematic but expressive manner characteristic of late Persis coinage, with a pronounced aquiline nose and stylized beard. The flan is irregular and the die work is typical of the provincial hammered coinage of the Persis kingdom. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Schematic fire altar or enthroned figure rendered in a highly stylized, degenerate manner, surrounded by Aramaic inscriptions disposed in the field. The design, derived from earlier Persis dynastic prototypes, shows a central device flanked by abbreviated Aramaic legends identifying the ruler. The overall composition is compact and irregularly struck, consistent with the small module and light weight of the obol denomination. |
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| Additional information |
The kings of Persis occupied a peculiar position in the post-Achaemenid world — nominally subordinate to the Parthian Arsacids yet striking their own coinage, maintaining dynastic fire temples, and preserving Old Persian titulature long after Alexander's conquests had redrawn everything else. The "Uncertain King II" designation reflects genuine scholarly disagreement; Alram's sequencing of the later Persis dynasts remains contested, and the attribution of specific obols to named rulers shifts between publications.
At 0.37g, this is among the smallest issues in the Persis series — fractions struck for local exchange in a kingdom where Parthian drachms handled larger transactions.