Silver drachm
On the obverse of this silver coin, a bust of the king faces to the left. He has wavy hair ending in curls and a long beard, and he wears a diadem (the headband worn by victorious athletes in ancient Greece) on his head. A border of dots surrounds the image.
The reverse shows a seated man facing right. He wears sleeves and trousers under a cloak, as well as a pointed hat with earflaps and a diadem. In his hand he holds a bow with the bowstring upwards. He sits on a high-backed throne. A Greek inscription, reading "of great king Arsaces the renowned" surrounds him.
This coin was struck by the Parthian king Mithridates II (reigned ca. 121–91 B.C.). The king on the obverse is probably meant to be Mithridates himself, wearing a diadem as a symbol of victory. The identity of the figure on the reverse is unknown; perhaps it is an idealized Parthian king, depicted as an archer. The archer’s pose is modeled on the coins struck by the Seleucid kings, which show the Greek god Apollo. The Parthians did not strike coins before the foundation of their empire in the third century B.C., so they based their early coins on those of the Seleucid Empire, whose domains they conquered.
The inscription on this coin, like those on almost all Parthian coins, names the first ruler of the empire Arsaces I (reigned ca. 247–217 B.C.), rather than the current ruler Mithridates. It may be a reference to the dynasty founded by Arsaces, or perhaps the seated archer is meant to represent him. It is also possible that all Parthian kings were called ‘Arsaces’ as a title or throne name.
Artwork Details
- Title: Silver drachm
- Period: Parthian
- Date: ca. 121–91 BCE
- Geography: Iran
- Culture: Parthian
- Medium: Silver
- Dimensions: Thickness 0.25 cm., Diameter 2.3 cm
- Credit Line: Bequest of Joseph H. Durkee, 1898
- Object Number: 99.35.2953
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
More Artwork
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Related Content
Timeline of Art History
Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.