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.Parthian & Sasanian Mints

It has been assumed since Gardner that the Greek letters and the monograms below the archer's bow on the reverse of Parthian coins represent mints. Gardner was able to identify but a few mints but Sellwood [1980, 13] has attempted to correlate the Greek characters in the monograms with mint city names. Koch [1990] has reassigned the location of the Traxiana mint from modern Mashad to Damghan and revised the meaning of the Abarshahr monogram but, with those exceptions, this list follows Sellwood. Also see the map of Parthian mints for a graphic perspective, and the list of Parthian cities that were not mints.

Abarshahr	Epardus	Saramana
Apamea	Hecatompylos	Seleucia
Areia	Kangavar	Susa
Artemita	Laodicea	Syrinx
Charax (Charax Spasini)	Margiane	Tambrax
Ctesiphon	Nineveh	Traveling Court Mint
Ecbatana	Nisa - Mithradatkart	Traxiana
Edessa	Rhagae

Abarshahr

Modern Nishapur. ABLŠTR in Parthian. Sellwood [1980, 13] believed the letter M in the monogram made it stand for Mithradatkart, but Koch later convincingly argued the monogram to be Abarshahr, a different mint. Koch reports the earliest coin from Abarshahr, with the letters APA, is one of Phraates II (see Mitchiner ACW, p. 110, 499 for an example). [Koch 1990, 32-34]

Apamea

City of Mesene occupied by Trajan during his 115/116 campaign (Arrian, Parthica, frs. 67-68). It is located where the Tigris divides, the left being the true Tigris and the right branch the Selas river.

Areia

Modern Herat in Afghanistan. It was on the early Silk route that led from Areia (Herat) to Rhagae to Ecbatana.

Artemita

Descriptive text goes here. Each mint's city name is an anchor for hyperlinks from the maps and other pages.

Charax (Charax Spasini)

Probably south of modern Basra, it was a major commercial site in the Parthian and later periods. It's best-known son was the geographer Isidore of Charax whose Parthian Stations lists the various locations along the major route running from Syria, across northern Mesopotamia, northern Iran and into Central Asia. Isidore was active during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus. The most accessible edition of Parthian Stations is that edited by Wilfred Schoff & reprinted in 1976 (Ares Press). Unfortunately there is no mention of Charax Spasini in that work as the town was located on a different trade route. Isidore also wrote a larger study Around the Parthian Empire which has been lost. A Charax Sidae in Syria and another Charax in north central Iran are mentioned in Parthian Stations. (Trudy Kawami)

According to Michael Grant's A Guide to the Ancient World (p.163), Charax is located on an artificial elevation between the Tigris and the Choaspes at the point where they meet, near the Persian Gulf. Pliny the Elder describes the foundation of the city by Alexander the Great. This Alexandria is uncertain, but a colony was formed there by Antiochus Epiphanes under the name Antiochia. The colony was destroyed by flooding. It was restored by Hyspaosines who was the son of a local Arab ruler named Sagdodonacus after whom it took the name Spasinou. Debevoise (38) says "Shortly after 129 B.C. the ancient city of Alexandria-Antioch near the head of the Persian Gulf was refounded as Charax Spasinou by the Arab Hyspaosines, son of Sagdodonacus. Under Hyspaosines, the surrounding country was rapidly conquered and thus was founded the kingdom of Characene." (Debevoise, fn 42, refers the reader to PW, arts. "Mesene" and "Alexandreia," No. 13.

Giuseppe Del Monte has pointed out that, in his reconstruction (Testi dalla Babilonia Ellenistica, Vol. I), near this Antiocheia was fought one of the decisive battles between Demetrius I and Alexander Balas, traditionally placed near Antiocheia on the Orontes after a cursory reading of I Macc X 1-2, 48-50, and Jos. Ant.Jud. XIII, 2, 35-37, 58-61. Josephus [Antiquities, 20:34ff], mentions the city of Charax-Spasini.

Ctesiphon

City built by the Parthians immediately opposite Seleucia on the Tigris, possibly for billeting troops. It was captured by Trajan in A.D. 115/116, but only after Pacorus had escaped. The daughter of Osroes and the golden throne were captured.

Ecbatana

Modern Hamadan, Iran. Alternate spelling: Agbatana. Under the Parthians, it was the satrapal seat of the province of Media and on the early Silk route that led from Areia (Herat) to Rhagae to Ecbatana where the city controls the major east-west route through the central Zagros, the so-called High Road. From Ecbatana, the goods passed into Syria via the Fertile Crescent or across the desert via Dura-Europas or Palmyra, or a more southerly route through Mesopotamia to Seleucia or Ctesiphon. A Parthian period Greek inscription on the statue of Herakles at Bisotun dated 149/48 B.C. refers to a Cleomenes as satrap of the "upper provinces" (Media); it would appear that Media and Ecbatana did not fall to the Parthian king Mithradates I until c. 147. The attempt by Antiochus VII in 130 B.C. to restore Seleucid power in Persia probably stopped short of Ecbatana, as did the invasion by Tigranes II of Armenia in the later years of Mithradates II (Frye, 1984, pp. 212, 215). The Parthians continued to use Ecbatana as a royal summer residence (Strabo, 11.13.1, 16.1.16; Curtius Rufus, 5.8.1; Tacitus, Annales 15.31) and as a royal mint. Parthian buildings in the city included the citadel on the Mosalla. ["Ecbatana," Encyclopaedia Iranica] The attribution to the mint at Ecbatana of issues of Mithradates I, with the title 'great King,' are possibly due to his conquest of this mint city c. 147 B.C.

Edessa

Now Urfa in southeastern Turkey, former capital of ancient Osrhoene. It is situated on a limestone ridge, an extension of the ancient Mount Masius in the Taurus mountains of southern Anatolia, where the east-west highway from Zeugma (in the vicinity of modern Birecik) on the Euphrates to the Tigris met the north-south route from Samosata to the Euphrates via Carrhae. Edessa was held successively by the Seleucids, Parthians, and Romans and was a mint under Antiochus IV which suggests a degree of autonomy and importance in the Seleucid period. Coins of Vologases IV were minted there also. When Seleucid power declined in the late 2nd century B.C., Edessa became the capital of a small kingdom, ruled by the so-called "Abgar dynasty," generally allied with the Parthians, and under strong Parthian cultural influence. Pliny the Elder (5.85) called the inhabitants of Osroene "Arabes," and the ruler was also known as "phylarch" or "toparch" of the Saracens (Festus, 14). It was upon entering Edessa in 114 A.D. that the Roman emperor Trajan received the title Arabicus. From that time onward Edessa came increasingly within the Roman sphere.

Epardus

Descriptive text goes here. Each mint's city name is an anchor for hyperlinks from the maps and other pages.

Hecatompylos

Modern Shahr-e Qumis near Damghan, Iran. One of the Parthian royal capitals. For a bibliography, see L. Vanden Berghe, Bibliographie analytique de l'archéologie de l'Iran ancien.

Kangavar

In Media. The temple of Anahita is the significant Parthian survival here.The articles of Kambaksh-Fard are found in Louis vanden Berghe, Bibliographie analytique de l'archéologie de l'Iran ancien .

Laodicea

Descriptive text goes here. Each mint's city name is an anchor for hyperlinks from the maps and other pages.

Margiane

Modern Merv in Turkmenistan. Over one-quarter of the Parthian copper coins in the hoard described by Koch are from this mint. [Koch, 4] For excellent information on Margiana mint, see the article by Nikitin, "Early Parthian Coins of Margiana," 1998. The ruins of ancient Margiane are 17 miles/27 kilometers away from the modern city of Mary. The International Merv Project Turkmenistan, an Anglo-Turkmen Archaeological Collaboration, is under the direction of Dr. Georgina Herrmann (IoA, UCL) and Dr. K. Kurbansakhatove (Ashgabat).

The earliest known Parthian drachm with a Margiana mintmark - MAP - was from Phraates II

Nineveh

Descriptive text goes here. Each mint's city name is an anchor for hyperlinks from the maps and other pages.

Nisa - Mithradatkart

Near modern Askabad in Turkmenistan. Excavated by the Southern-Turkmen Combined Archaeological Expedition from 1948 to 1961, uncovering many Parthian ostraca as well as material remains.

Rhagae

Also Rayy. At or near the present day Tehran, Iran. The renaming of Europa-Rhagai to Arsakia may have occurred under Phraates I. (See M.L. Chaumont, "Etudes d'histoire Parthe II," Syria 50 (1973), p.204.) Debevoise tells us it was renamed much earlier, but did not long retain the new name. It was on the early Silk route that led from Areia (Herat) to Rhagae to Ecbatana.

Saramana

Descriptive text goes here. Each mint's city name is an anchor for hyperlinks from the maps and other pages.

Seleucia

On the Tigris river in modern Iraq. Royal city of the Seleucid dynasty, taken by the Parthians and used for commerce and minting. On the early southern Silk Route, goods from Ecbatana passed into Syria via the route through Mesopotamia to Seleucia or Ctesiphon. The founding of Vologasia, the increasing importance of the Parthian city Ctesiphon immediately across the river and the destruction wrought by successive Roman invasions hastened the decline of the old royal city of Seleucia in the second century A.D. Seleucia was evidently among those cities that retained some form of Hellenistic city-state status under Parthian control. [Debevoise (1938), p. xli]

Susa

Proof for Parthian control of Susa appear for the first time in a double-dated inscription from the early part of 130 B.C., the conquest probably having been made by Mithradates I. (Debevoise, p. 30) Coins from Susa indicate that in the year 130-129 B.C. the city reverted from Parthian to Seleucid rule. (G. Le Rider, Suse sous le Seleucides, 377-378). After the death of Antiochus VII, Susa reverted to Parthian rule. Susa was evidently among those cities that retained some form of Hellenistic city-state status under Parthian control. [Debevoise (1938), p. xli]

Syrinx

In the ancient district of Hyrcania. Parthian held Syrinx was taken from Arsaces II by Antiochus in 209 B.C.

Tambrax

In the ancient district of Hyrcania. Probably the modern town of Sari, Iran. Tambrax was an unwalled city taken by Antiochus III in 209 B.C. from the Parthians under Arsaces II. About 171 B.C., Mithradates I may have invaded here, taking advantage of Bactrian weakness in the east. (Debevoise, 19)

Traveling Court Mint

(KATA) STRATEIA or KATACTRATEIA, literally, "on campaign". (Olson, p. 30) For an example, see Sinatruces.

Traxiana

Modern Damghan. City in the Parthian district of Traxiana, later known as Khorasan. It has been occupied since prehistoric times and was the original capital of the ancient province of Qumis. [Koch 1990, 4, fn] Koch maintains that the site of Traxiana has not yet been convincingly located and the suggestion [Sellwood, 13]that it is identified with Mashad, which is very close to Abarshahr (Nishapur), is inconveniently close for two mints. Damghan, some 375 miles to the southwest of Mashad, seems a more likely place for a mint.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

A

uncertain site

Media

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AH

unknown

unknown

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AHM

Hamadan (Ecbatana)

Media/Central District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AM

Amul (?)

Khurasan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

APR

Abarshahr

Khurasan

AP

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AR

unknown

unknown

Mitchiner lists AR for both Armenia and Fars.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

ARM

unknown

not in the Caucasus, Khurasan or Sistan

Mitchiner's Armenia.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

ART

Ardashir-Khurra

Fars (Persis)/Ardashir-Khurra District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AS

uncertain site

Khuzistan (Suisiana)

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

ASP

Spahan (Isfahan)

Media

SPHAN

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AT

Adurbadagan

Atrapatan (Azerbaijan)

Sears doesn't mention AT, but everyone else does.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AWH

at or near Hormizd-Ardashir

Khuzistan (Suisiana)

Mochiri's AOH/AO; Mitchiner's AUH/AU.

AW

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AY

at or near Eran-khvarrah-Shapur

Khuzistan (Susiana)

Mitchiner's AI or AB; Gobl's AB.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AYR

unknown

Central Iraq or Northwestern Iran

Mitchiner's AIR (Airan Khurra Shapuhr).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AYRA

unknown

unknown

Mitchiner's AIRA (Airan Khurra Shapuhr).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

AYRAN

at or near Eran-asan-kar-Kavad

Media/Western District

Mitchiner's AIRAN (Airan Khurra Shapuhr).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BBA

Court Mint

Mitchiner's BKhA; Mochiri's BLX (Balkh).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BHL

Balkh

Khurasan

Mochiri's BXL.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BN

Veh-Ardashir

Kirman

Mochiri's and Mitchiner's GN (Gondishapur).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BST

Bust

Sistan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BYN (?)

unknown

not in Kirman, Khurasan or Sistan

I'm not sure how to draw this signature.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

BYSh

Bishapur

Fars (Persis)/Bishapur District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

CACW

Chach

Khurasan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

DA

Darabgird

Fars (Persis)/Darabgird District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

DR

unknown

unknown

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

DYNAW

uncertain/Dinavar (?)

Media (?)

Gobl has this mint marked as Rayy

DYNAS

DYNAT

DYN

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GD

Gay (Jayy)

Media/Southern District

A district of Isfahan; Mitchiner's GI; Mochiri's GY.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GRM

Bamm

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GNCKR

Ganjak-Chez

Northern Provinces

GNC

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GW

at or near Goyman (?)

Media

Mitchiner's GU; Mochiri's GO (Gorgan).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GWRCAN

(?)

(?)

Mochiri's GORZAN (Gorzvan).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

GY

Giruft

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

H

unknown

unknown; not Herat

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

HR

Herat

Khurasan

HRY

HRYDY

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

HRCN

Hurjand (?)

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

HRM

Xolm (?)

Khurasan

Mochiri's XLM (Xolm).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

HWC

Gunde-Shapur (?)

Khuzistan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

KA

Karzi

Fars (Persis)/Ardashir-Khurra District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

KR

in or near Shirajan

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

MA

May (Masabadan)

Media

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

MR

Merv

Khurasan

MRWY

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

MRWYART

Merv-Rud

Khurasan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

MY

Meshan

Southern Iraq/Northern District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

NAR

Narmashir

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

NAT

uncertain site

Kirman

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

NY

at or near Nemavand

Media/Central District

Mitchiner's NB (uncertain).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

PR

Furat-i-Meshan

Southern Iraq/Southern District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

RAM

Ram-Hormizd

Khuzistan (Susiana)

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

RD

Ray (Rayy, Rhagae)

Media/Northern District

Mochiri's RY.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

RHW

Roxvadh

Khurasan

Mochiri's RXW.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

RYW

Rev-Ardashir

Khuzistan (Susiana)

KWN RYW

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

S

uncertain site

Media

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

SK

Zarang

Sistan

Notice the older form of 'T'

SKSTN

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

SMR

Samarkand

Khurasan

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

ShY

Shiraz

Fars (Persis)

Sellwood attributes ShY to Shiz in the Northwest.

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

ST

Istakhr (Persepolis)

Fars (Persis)/Istakhr District

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

TWS

Tus

Khurasan

TW

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

WAC (?)

uncertain site

Al-Jazira

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

WH

Veh-Ardashir (Seleucia)

Central Iraq/Northern District

Mochiri's VH (Veh Ardashir), Mitchiner's VH (Veh Andew Shapur); Gobl's NH (Nahr-Tire).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

WRC

unknown

unknown; not in the Caucasus

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

WYH

Veh-Kavad

Central Iraq/Southern District

Mochiri's NEH; Mitchiner's NIH (Nehavend).

SIGNATURE

PAHLAVI

CITY/DISTRICT

PROVINCE

NOTES

WYHC

Veh-az-Amid-Kavad (Arrajan)

Fars (Persis)/Veh-az-Amid-Kavad District

Mochiri's VSP (Visp Shad Xosrow); Mitchiner's NYHCh.