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Tetradrachm - Artabanus II Type # 63 - Seleucia
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 26 |
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| Currency | Drachm (247 BC-224 AD) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed bust of Artabanus II facing slightly to the right, with a medium-length beard and wearing a spiral torque; no wart is present on the forehead. The diadem ties fall behind the neck, and the portrait is rendered in the Hellenistic tradition characteristic of late Parthian royal coinage. The field is enclosed by a circular border of pellets. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Artabanus II spent much of his reign in open conflict with Rome, including a direct confrontation with Germanicus over the Armenian throne around 18 AD, but by the mid-20s had consolidated enough control to resume regular tetradrachm production at Seleucia on the Tigris. That city, founded by Seleucus I and still one of the largest urban centers in the ancient world, remained the primary mint for Parthian civic coinage long after the Arsacid capital had shifted westward.
Sellwood's type 63 sequence represents a late phase of his output, distinguished partly by the progressive degradation of the billon fabric — silver content had been declining across the series for decades by this point.