Greek: PARTHIAN KINGDOM. Mithradates II (ca. 121-91 BC). AR drachm (21mm, 3.94 gm, 12h). NGC Choice XF★ 5/5 - 5/5....

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PARTHIAN KINGDOM. Mithradates II (ca. 121-91 BC). AR drachm (21mm, 3.94 gm, 12h). NGC Choice XF★ 5/5 - 5/5. Rhagae or Ecbatana, ca. 109-96/5 BC. Diademed, draped bust of Mithradates II left, with long pointed beard, loop earring, and torque ending in winged hippocamp / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ-ΒΑΣ-ΙΛΕΩN-ΜEΓΑΛΟΥ-ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ / EΠIΦANOYΣ, archer (Arsaces I) enthroned right, in Parthian dress, with bow in outstretched right hand. Sunrise 293. Sellwood 27.1. Shore 85. Exquisite example with intricate detail and gunmetal toning in the recesses.

Mithradates II the Great is often hailed as one of the greatest kings of Parthia. His reign was marked by frequent clashes with the Scythian hordes at the eastern frontier-- deterring the nomads from pressing on further into the empire--and leading expeditions in Mesopotamia and Armenia. However, the most remarkable developments of his reign were diplomatic, not military. The Emperor Wu of Han, seeing value in setting up caravan routes with the western polities of Eurasia, sent an embassy to the Parthian court at Susa: historians look back on this event in 114 BC as the beginning of the Silk Road. The Parthians, who had originated from a satrapy on the southeastern shores of the Caspian Sea, were initially geographically distant from the empire's western neighbors. Mithradates II was the first Parthian king to establish contact with the Romans, seeking friendly relations by sending an envoy to the consul Sulla. The reverse inscriptions on Mithradates II's coins may allude to his protection of the borders of the empire and alliances with foreign monarchs, with titles such as "the Illustrious" and "the Deliverer".

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