Catalog
Tetradrachm - Tiraios II NIK before face
| Issuer | Kingdom of Characene |
|---|---|
| Year | 73 BC - 71 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and bearded bust of King Tiraios II facing right, with elaborate curled hair rendered in fine relief and long flowing diadem ribbons trailing behind. The full beard is rendered with characteristic Parthian-influenced corded striations, and the royal diadem is prominently displayed above the forehead. The portrait displays a strong, mature physiognomy consistent with Hellenistic royal iconography of the period. The field is plain, and the design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Characene was a small but strategically consequential kingdom at the head of the Persian Gulf, its rulers navigating the competing pressures of Parthian overlordship and independent commercial ambition. Tiraios II issued this tetradrachm during a period when Characene briefly asserted greater autonomy — the NIK monogram before the face is a control mark specific to this emission, distinguishing it within Le Rider's classification of types 8 through 13.
The kingdom's wealth derived almost entirely from Gulf trade, and these silver tetradrachms functioned as the primary instrument of that commerce.