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THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

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GREEK <strong>COIN</strong>S<br />

which some of the types are interesting and historically<br />

instructive.<br />

In Mesopotamia, where we again approach Scriptural<br />

scenes, and the reputed cradle of the human race,<br />

Babylonia, and Assyria, coins were struck by the cities,<br />

by the Syrian Seleucidae, by native reg'idi, and by the<br />

Romans. Among the more important centres were<br />

Edessa, Carrhae, and Seleucia on the Tigris, the second-<br />

named famous for its worship of the Moon. The<br />

reverse types of the Roman epoch are often of mytho-<br />

logical interest.<br />

Parthia. — This, like other States (comp. Bactria<br />

infra), erected out of larger and well-established govern-<br />

ments, not only at once produced a well - executed<br />

coinage under the first of the Arsacidae, circa 250 B.C.,<br />

but that of the succeeding kings suffered a progressive<br />

declension in fabric and style, till toward the end of<br />

the series the inscriptions and types become equally<br />

barbarous and illegible. Nevertheless, in this branch<br />

of the inquiry (b.c 249 to a.d. 227) we have, down to<br />

a certain point, many productions interesting from their<br />

costume and from the presence of dates. The titles are<br />

curious, and are servilely borrowed from those found<br />

on the Greek money. The most intelligible is that of<br />

Phildkn, adopted to propitiate the Greek element in<br />

the Parthian dominions. It is said that Seleucus II. of<br />

Syria (b.c. 246-226) borrowed the fashion of wearing a<br />

beard, to which he owed the sobriquet of Pogon, from<br />

having resided in Parthia, whose kings are generally<br />

represented bearded. ,<br />

99

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