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Numismatics :
Parthian Coins : Parthian Silver Tetradrachm of King Mithradates II
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Parthian Silver Tetradrachm of King Mithradates II - C.3015
Origin: Southwestern Asia
Circa: 123
BC
to 88
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$7,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: Portrait of the King Crowned with a
Diadem
Reverse: Archer Facing Right Seated on an
Omphalos, Holding Bow
Mithradates II, Son of Artabanus II, was the
eighth Parthian king who came to the throne
about 124 B.C. Second only to Mithradates I as
most powerful Parthian king, he defeated all
Seleucid attempts to reclaim their Eastern
territories, turning Parthia into a formidable,
unified empire. He recovered all Mesopotamia
and conquered Characene, overstriking coins of
Hyspaosines and driving him from his capital in
122 or 121 BC. Along the way, Mithradates II
assumed the Achaemenid title "king of kings"
and introduced new titles and designs on his
extensive coinage including the Parthian tiara,
which became a standard symbol of kingship in
many eastern kingdoms, and the title Epiphanes,
or "god manifest". During the reign of
Mithradates II, the first contacts with Rome,
under Lucius Cornelius Sulla, were made, and
portents of future struggles were evident in the
lack of any agreement between the two powers.
Mithradates II died about 88 B.C., although he
may have died a few years earlier.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether
contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long
forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck
coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural details that are often lacking
in contemporary machine-made currencies.
More than just a memorial commemorating a
ruler, this coin is a gorgeous artifact, passed
down from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation,
revealing the glorious triumph of a lost
civilization.
- (C.3015)
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