PARTHIA, Mithradates I, c.171-138 BC, drachm

Description

The Parthians were Central Asian nomads who descended on the “settled” and “civilized” world with their new military invention, which was stirrups, which permitted the existence of mounted spear bearing warriors. Mithradates I was a great conqueror who consolidated and expanded the Parthian kingdom.

Ancient Coins includes Greek and Roman coins and those of neighbors and successors, geographically from Morocco and Spain all the way to Afghanistan. Date ranges for these begin with the world’s earliest coins of the 8th century BC to, in an extreme case, the end of Byzantine Empire, 1453 AD.