Stater - Andragoras 245 BC - 238 BC
| Gold | 8.52 g | 18 mm |
| Issuer | Satrapy of Parthia (Seleucid Empire (305 BC - 64 BC)) |
|---|---|
| Satrap | Andragoras (245 BC - 238 BC) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 245 BC - 238 BC |
| Value | Gold Stater (20) |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Gold |
| Weight | 8.52 g |
| Diameter | 18 mm |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-10 |
| Numista | N#81814 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Fast quadriga driven right by Nike holding kentron and reins; at her left, a warrior. Below horses’ hooves, three dots.
Script: Greek
Lettering: ΑΝΔΡΑΓΟΡΟΥ
Translation: Andragoras.
Comment
For discussion of these coins, see Percy Gardner, "New Coins from Bactria," NC 19 (1879): 1-12 and "Coins from Central Asia," NC 1 (1881): 8-12; Allotte de la Fuye, "Monnaies incertaines de la Sogdiane et des cointrées voisines," RN (1910): 282-292. See also I. M. Diakonov and E. Zejmal, "The Parthian Dynast Andragoras and his Coins" (in Russian), VDI (1988): 4-19; R. B. Whitehead, "The eastern satrap Sophytes," NC 1943, pl. iii, 5. The example in the Berlin cabinet was published by H. Dressel, "Erwerbungen des königlichen Münzkabinetts in den Jahren 1890-1897," ZfN XXI (1898), p. 231; and Mitchiner, Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage, Vol. 1: The Early Indo-Greeks and their Antecedents (1975), p. 19 (Type 19).
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about the Andragoras Stater is that it features the first known portrayal of a Parthian king wearing a beard. This depiction of Andragoras with a beard is significant because it marks a departure from the traditional clean-shaven representation of Persian kings and indicates the influence of nomadic cultures on Parthian art.