A.D. 10–38 Parthian Silver Drachm Artabanus II VF+

Nearly 2,000-Year-Old Silver Drachm Of One of Rome’s Craftiest Adversaries!

At the apex of its power and influence, the Parthian Empire stretched from the northern reaches of the Euphrates River in central-eastern Turkey to Afghanistan and western Pakistan. The center of its government was in what is now modern Iran, and from around 250 B.C. to A.D. 225 the Parthians were one of the main rivals of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. One of the Parthian Empire’s more colorful monarchs was Artabanus II, who, by shrewd political maneuvering, maintained his grip on power for nearly 30 years from A.D. 10–38 despite Rome’s ever-growing appetite for new lands to conquer.

Making A Deal With Rome

One of Artabanus’s neatest tricks was to install one of his sons as the king of Armenia in order to make a deal with Rome. Knowing his army wasn’t strong enough at that time for a full-fledged war with the Roman Empire, he made a bargain in which he relinquished all Parthian claims to Armenia in exchange for peace with Rome, thus removing his own son from power! The peace lasted for nearly 100 years until Roman emperors Trajan and Septimius Severus renewed hostilities with the Parthians in the second century.

Designs Influenced By Centuries Of Greek Culture

This silver drachm shows Artabanus II in profile, but the stylization of his features differs greatly from those typically found in the Roman Empire. He is shown bare-headed with a medium square-cut beard wearing diadem with a loop at the top and three ends. If you look closely, you can even see an earring poking out from behind his long hair. The reverse shows a man with a bow and arrow sitting atop a throne surrounded by Greek lettering. The presence of these inscriptions reflects centuries of Greek influence and demonstrates the cultural legacy of Alexander the Great, who centuries earlier conquered and Hellenized all of what would become the Parthian Empire. The empire, located on the Silk Road trade route between the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean Basin and the Han dynasty of China, became a center of trade and commerce meaning this coin was quite possibly recognized throughout the known world!

Secure This Historically Significant Ancient Coin Today

This is your chance to secure this historically significant ancient coin struck between A.D. 10–38 during the reign of Artabanus II. And at approximately 21 mm in diameter, it’s about the size of a nickel—a nice size for an ancient coin! What’s more, each coin available here comes in nice Very Fine+ (VF+) condition with complete details and only minor wear on its high points. It’s a magnificent piece that was struck by hand nearly 2,000 years ago. Quantities are limited so secure this ancient coin now before our small cache is history!