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Tetradrachm - Arsaces XVI monograms above and below bow
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 78 BC - 62 BC |
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| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Diademed, short-bearded royal bust facing left, adorned with a spiral torque at the neck, rendered in the Hellenistic portrait tradition. The effigy displays characteristic Parthian iconographic elements, with the diadem ends visible behind the head. The field is enclosed by a dotted border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Sellwood 30.9 belongs to the reign of Phraates III, who came to power around 70 BC after a period of dynastic chaos that saw multiple claimants eliminate one another. His timing was shrewd: both Lucullus and later Pompey actively courted Parthian neutrality during Rome's wars against Mithridates VI of Pontus, and Phraates played both sides with considerable skill, extracting diplomatic recognition of the Euphrates as a boundary without committing troops to either Roman faction.
The billon fabric of this issue reflects a gradual debasement that had been creeping into Parthian tetradrachms across the preceding generation.