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Stater - Ardakhshir II
| Issuer | Kingdom of Persis (Persian Empires) |
|---|---|
| Year | 40 BC - 5 BC |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Slender diademed bust of Ardashir II facing left, rendered in low relief in the characteristic Persis style. The ruler displays a short beard and wears a diadem secured with three ties, a torque composed of three segments, and a distinctive mural crown. The effigy is rendered in a hieratic, stylized manner consistent with the dynastic coinage of the Kingdom of Persis. The field surrounding the bust is largely plain, with the legends disposed around the portrait. |
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| Reverse description | The king is depicted standing in left profile, rendered in a formal, hieratic style typical of Persis dynastic issues. He holds a long scepter in one hand while performing a ritual libation or sacrifice before a fire altar positioned to the left of the design. An Aramaic inscription is present in the field, identifying the ruler. The composition reflects the strong Achaemenid religious and iconographic tradition maintained by the frataraka and later dynasts of Persis. |
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| Additional information |
Ardakhshir II ruled Persis as a vassal king under Parthian overlordship during one of the most turbulent stretches of that suzerainty — a period when the Parthian Arsacids were simultaneously managing Roman pressure in the west and dynastic instability at their own court. The Persis rulers maintained striking autonomy unusual for client kingdoms, issuing gold in their own name when most subordinate dynasties were denied that privilege entirely.
The absence of Alram and Haaff reference numbers here is significant: this piece either represents an unpublished variety or has not yet been formally placed within either corpus, making precise die attribution speculative until a fuller die study is completed.