Catalog
Tetradrachm - Phraates IV
| Issuer | Parthian Empire (Parthian Empire (247 BC - 224 AD)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 29 BC - 26 BC |
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| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Reverse description | Arsakes I (dynastic founder) depicted as a seated archer in three-quarter view to the right, enthroned on an omphalos, holding a strung bow in his extended left hand. The figure wears Parthian dress and the composition is characteristic of Seleucid-derived numismatic tradition. A multi-line Greek legend surrounds the central type on all sides, filling the field with the full royal titulature. Possible control marks, including a letter beneath the throne and a pellet below the bow, appear as mint or date indicators on certain die varieties. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ (Translation: KING OF KINGS ARSAKES THE BENEFACTOR THE JUST THE ILLUSTRIOUS FRIEND OF THE GREEKS) |
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| Additional information |
Phraates IV reclaimed the Parthian throne around 37 BC by murdering his own father Orodes II and then systematically eliminating his brothers — somewhere between thirty and eighty of them, depending on the source. His grip on power remained precarious enough that he briefly fled to the Scythians after a revolt, only to return and consolidate rule through equally brutal means. The years corresponding to this issue coincide almost exactly with Augustus's diplomatic negotiations over the return of the Roman standards lost at Carrhae in 53 BC, finally surrendered by Phraates in 20 BC.
Sellwood 55.10 is a late Ecbatana mint type, struck on the characteristically broad, thin flans of the period.