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Tetradrachm - Vadfradad I Victory type
| Issuer | Kingdom of Persis (Persian Empires) |
|---|---|
| Year | 240 BC - 220 BC |
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| Currency | Chian-Rhodian drachm |
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| Obverse description | Bearded effigy of Vadfradad I (Autophradates I) in right profile, wearing a pointed kyrbasia adorned with a diadem, and a single earring. The portrait is rendered in the Achaemenid-Hellenistic tradition, with fine detail in the facial features and headdress. The field is enclosed by a uniform dotted border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Architectural depiction of a fire temple with crenellated turrets occupying the right portion of the field, above which the winged figure of Ahura-Mazda is shown in profile. To the left of the temple, the king stands in right-facing profile, being crowned with a wreath by Nike, the goddess of victory, who stands behind him. A bow is placed between the king and the altar, and a royal standard appears at the far right. An Aramaic inscription is present in the field. |
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Vadfradad I (Autophradates I in Greek sources) ruled Persis as a semi-autonomous vassal kingdom during the Seleucid period, and this Victory type tetradrachm is among the earliest coinage struck by the Frataraka dynasts — the priestly governors who maintained Persian cultural and religious traditions long after Alexander's conquest had dismantled the Achaemenid order. The series demonstrates deliberate archaism, looking backward to pre-Hellenistic Persian iconography at a moment when Seleucid influence dominated nearly every neighboring mint.
Extremely rare in any condition. The Sunrise collection specimen, now among the most referenced examples of the type, remains the benchmark for attribution.