Catalog
Tetradrachm - Orodes II
| Issuer | Parthian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 57 BC - 38 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Diademed and draped bust of Orodes II facing left, rendered in high relief in the Hellenistic tradition. The king wears a royal diadem with long flowing ties behind the neck, and an elaborate tiara or mural crown adorned with a row of pellets along the headband. His hair falls in thick, wavy locks to the shoulder, and he sports a neatly trimmed beard. The royal costume features a torque at the neck and a heavily ornamented garment with rows of pellets at the shoulder, conveying regal authority. The broad, plain field surrounding the effigy is characteristic of Parthian royal coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (57 BC - 38 BC) |
| Additional information |
Orodes II seized the Parthian throne by having his brother Mithridates III hunted down and executed — a dynastic purge that opened one of the empire's most consequential reigns. His defeat of Crassus at Carrhae in 53 BC, where seven Roman legions were destroyed and the standards captured, made him the first eastern ruler to inflict a catastrophe of that scale on the Republic. The billon composition of this series reflects a gradual debasement across his reign, the silver content declining noticeably in later issues as military expenditure mounted against both Rome and internal claimants.