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HISTORICAL GREEK COINS - eBooks4Greeks.gr

HISTORICAL GREEK COINS - eBooks4Greeks.gr

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<strong>HISTORICAL</strong> <strong>GREEK</strong> <strong>COINS</strong>THE FOUNDATION OP THE PARTHIAN EMPIREcirca 248 B.C.77. Obv. Beardless bust 1.wearing helmet tiedwith diadem, earring, torque, and cloakfastened on shoulder.Rev. APSIAKOY Figure, beardless, seated r.on omphalos, wearing helmet as onobverse, scale-armour, short cloak andboots ;in outstretched r. a bow.British Museum. Silver Attic Drachm, 3 '80 <strong>gr</strong>ammes. Wroth,B. M. C. Parthia, p. 1., No. 1., PI. i. 1.The attribution and classification of the series ofParthian coins present enormous difficulties ;butthere can be little doubt that No. 77 represents theearliest coinage. Practically all the Parthian coins1bear the name AP2IAKOY, but only on this classis itunaccompanied by anytitle. It is doubtfulwhether any coins were struck by Arsaces himself,who with his brother Tiridates revolted againsttheir Seleucid sovereign in the middle of the thirdcentury, and founded the independence of Parthia.These coins were perhaps struck by Tiridates i.,who reigned circa 248-211 B.C. The person whosehead is represented on the obverse, and whose figureas a bowman is the standard type of the Parthiancoinage from beginning to end, is most probablyArsaces. His regal status is indicated by a diademfastened round his helmet : he is represented as an1Cp. Strabo, xv. 702: 'A/xra/ccu -yip KO.\OVVTCU Travre^iSiq. Si 6 u.lv'Qpw$r}t6 Si Qpadnqs 6 8' d\\o TI.

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