![[parthian]](i_parthian.GIF)
p a r t h i a n e m p i r e
In 247 BC, Arsaces, leader of a Scythian group in Central Asia called the Parni (a branch of the Dahae) is crowned king. He overthrows the Seleucid governor of Parthia in 238 BC and establishes a nation that lasts for almost 500 years. 95 - 57 BC is referred to as the Parthian 'dark age,' and civil wars make the chronology of this period a matter of conjecture. At the height of their power, the Parthians were second only to Rome and were the only civilized nation able to stand up to her. The empire began its decline in the 2nd century AD and the rebellion of Ardashir of Persis in 220 AD was its death knell. The last Parthian king, Artabanos IV, was killed in the battle of Hormuzdagan in 224 AD and Ardashir became the first Sasanian king.
r e f e r e n c e s
| Arsaces I - Mithradates II |
| Gotarzes I - Mithradates III | Orodes II - Tiridates |
| Phraataces - Vonones II | Vologases I - Vologases III |
| Osroes I - Artabanos IV |
Please also see Edward C. D. Hopkins' phenomenal site Parthia.Com on the history and coins of Parthia,
and Doug Smith's page on the Coins of Parthia
- Arsaces I
First Parthian king. Reign 238 - 211 BC. Fought Seleucids (Seleucus II).
- Arsaces II
Son, or possibly nephew of Arsaces I. Reign 211 - 191 BC. Fought Seleucids (Antiochos III).
- Priapatios
Son of Arsaces II. Reign 191 - 176 BC.
- Phraates I
Son of Priapatios. Reign 176 - 171 BC.
- Mithradates I
Son of Priapatios and brother of Phraates I. Reign 171 - 138 BC. Expands kingdom to the borders of India. Defeats Medians, Babylonians, Mesopotamians and Elamaeans in the west. Establishes partial Parthian control over Elymais and Persis.
Mithradates I (circa 171-138 BC)
AE Dichalkous(?)
Sellwood ICP 7.2
16 mm.
3.27 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Head in bashlik, left.
Reverse: Nike walking left holding wreath and palm.
Mithradates I (circa 171-138 BC)
AR Drachm
Sellwood ICP 9.1
20 x 18 mm.
3.69 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Beardless bust left wearing bashlik, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Two line Greek legend; exergual line.
Mithradates I (circa 171-138 BC)
AR Drachm
Sellwood ICP 9.1
20 x 19 mm.
3.17 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Beardless bust left wearing bashlik, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Two line Greek legend; exergual line.
Note: Holed.
Mithradates I (171-138 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 12, Sellwood ICP 10.1
21 x 22 mm.
3.44 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Beardless bust left wearing bashlik, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Three line Greek legend; exergual line.
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.
Mithradates I (171-138 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 24, Sellwood ICP 11.1
19 mm.
3.48 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem, earring visible; reel and pellet border.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Three line Greek legend; exergual line.
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.
Mithradates I (171-138 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 24, Sellwood ICP 11.1
21 x 20 mm.
4.46 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem, earring visible; reel and pellet border.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Three line Greek legend; exergual line.
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.
- Phraates II
Son of Mithradates I. Reign 138 - 127 BC. Defeats the Seleucid king Antiochos VII. Killed in a battle against the Sakas (Indo-Scythians).
Phraates II (138-127 BC)
AR Tetradrachm
Shore -, Sellwood ICP 17.1
30 x 31 mm.
15.88 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust right with short beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Male deity enthroned left; four line Greek legend. Monograms in exergue. Seleucia (?) mint.
Note: Courtesy Peter A. Linenthal collection.
Phraates II (138-127 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 42v, Sellwood ICP 16.2
18 mm.
3.39 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with short beard wearing diadem. Very worn die.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Greek legend with guide lines.
Phraates II (138-127 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 50, Sellwood ICP 16.11
19 mm.
3.90 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with short beard wearing diadem, earring visible. Monogram 'TMA' (?) behind head.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Greek legend with guide lines. Tambrax (?) mint.
Phraates II (138-127 BC)
AE Dichalkous
Shore 486, Sellwood ICP 15.5
17 mm.
3.15 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with short beard (?) wearing diadem, earring visible.
Reverse: Horse walking right on exergual line. Three line Greek legend; monogram above (?).
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.
- Bagasis
Brother of Mithradates I. Reign 127 - 126 BC.
- Artabanos I
Brother of Mithradates I. Reign 126 - 124 BC. Loses Babylonia to the kingdom of Characene. Killed fighting the Sakas.
Artabanos I (127-124 BC)
AR Drachm
Shore 58, Sellwood ICP 20.1
19 x 20 mm.
4.30 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with medium beard wearing diadem, earring visible; hair in waves.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow; shallow circular incuse. Four line Greek legend; exergual line.
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.
- Mithradates II
Son of Artabanos I. Reign 123 - 91 BC. Defeated the western Sakas (Sakaraukae), conquered Characene and recovered Babylonia and Mesopotamia. The Parthian Empire reaches its farthest extent, stretching from the Euphrates to the Oxus. First Parthian king to have contact with Rome and to use the title 'King of Kings'.
Sellwood 24
AR Drachm
Shore 69, Sellwood ICP 24.9
20 mm.
3.69 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with medium beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Archer seated right on omphalos holding bow. Four line Greek legend; exergual line.
AE Tetrachalkous
Shore 91v., Sellwood ICP 24.35v.
23 x 22 mm.
7.36 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with medium, square-cut beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Horse walking right. Greek legend with guide lines. No monogram.
Sellwood 25-26
AE Tetrachalkous
Sellwood ICP 26.25v.
20 mm.
6.26 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem. Monogram 'MI' behind head (off flan).
Reverse: Horse walking right. Greek legend without guide lines. Monogram 'AP' above flank of horse.
AE Dichalkous
Shore 93, Sellwood ICP 26.26
19 mm.
4.86 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Pegasos flying right. Greek legend.
Sellwood 27 ["King of Kings"]
AR Drachm
Shore 85, Sellwood ICP 27.1
21 x 20 mm.
4.19 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow; cloak arm ends in pellet below seat level. Five line Greek legend.
AE Dichalkous
Sellwood ICP 27.9v.
19 x 18 mm.
5.13 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left with long beard wearing diadem.
Reverse: Horse head right. Five line Greek legend.
Mithradates II (123 - 91 BC AD)
AE 15 Dichalkous
Sellwood ICP 27.11
15 mm.
1.79 gm.
Die position=2h
Obverse: Bare-headed bust left.
Reverse: Nike walking right.
Sellwood 28 ["King of Kings"]
AR Drachm
Shore 95, Sellwood ICP 28.1 [1st tiara; Sellwood i], R. Senior tiara #9v.
21 x 19 mm.
4.07 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bust left with long beard wearing tiara with star in center, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow. Five line Greek legend.
AR Drachm
Shore 99, Sellwood ICP 28.3 [2nd tiara; Sellwood ii], R. Senior tiara #4
19 mm.
3.88 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bust left with long beard wearing tiara with star in center, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow. Five line Greek legend.
AE Dichalkous
Shore 108v., Sellwood ICP 28.11-12
16 x 15 mm.
2.63 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust left with long beard wearing tiara.
Reverse: Nike walking right holding wreath. Five line Greek legend.
AE Chalkous
Sellwood ICP 28.21; Lerider 145
13 x 14 mm.
1.64 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust left with long beard wearing tiara.
Reverse: Nike walking right holding wreath. Five line Greek legend. "Susa" mint.
AE Chalkous
Sellwood ICP 28.17v.
15 mm.
1.62 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust left with long beard wearing tiara.
Reverse: Pegasos flying right. Five line Greek legend.
Mithradates II (123 - 91 BC AD)
AE 18
Sellwood ICP 28.12
18 mm.
2.83 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bust right with long beard.
Reverse: Nike walking right.
Sellwood 29 ["King of Kings"]
Mørkholm 1980: Mithradates II (c.123-88/7 BC)
Sellwood's Mithradates II. Dilmaghani 1986: Mithradates II
AR Drachm
Sellwood ICP 29/28 mule (?)
19 x 18 mm.
3.41 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust left with medium-long beard wearing tiara with star in center.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow. Five line Greek legend.
Note: At first, I thought this may be a cast forgery. Still not sure; appears to be an s29-style obverse coupled with an s28 reverse or an s29 type struck over an s28 type. Or perhaps even a non-Parthian (Roman Republican?) host coin. Interesting.
AR Drachm
Sellwood ICP 29.1 [1st tiara; Sellwood i], R. Senior tiara #12v.;Shore 102v.
20 x 19 mm.
4.16 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Bust left with medium-long beard wearing tiara with star in center, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow. Six line Greek legend.
AR Drachm
Sellwood ICP 29.1
20 x 18 mm.
3.85 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust left with medium-long beard wearing tiara with star in center, earring visible.
Reverse: Archer seated right on throne holding bow. Six line Greek legend.
