Persian Treasury
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Coinage of Vologases I

1 catalogued issue of Vologases I — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Vologases I (c. 51–78 CE) fought Rome over Armenia to a negotiated draw and introduced Aramaic script alongside Greek on Parthian coinage — the first visible retreat of Hellenism from Iranian money. Vologases I issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 51 CE – 78 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Seleucia-on-the-Tigris.

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
2

Key facts

Key facts about Vologases I in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range51 CE – 78 CE
Eras representedParthian (Arsacid) Empire
MetalsSilver
DenominationsDrachm, Tetradrachm
MintsSeleucia-on-the-Tigris
Reignc. 51–78 CE
ConflictRoman–Parthian war over Armenia
Settlement63 CE compromise under Nero
Numismatic firstParthian script alongside Greek

The Armenian settlement

The war with Rome over the Armenian throne ended in 63 CE with a compromise: a Parthian prince ruled Armenia but received his crown from Nero. It held for half a century, and it is the diplomatic template for the rest of Rome's eastern policy.

Vologases also founded Vologesias as a trading city, a deliberate attempt to route commerce away from Roman-linked centres.

Script and identity

The appearance of Parthian letters beside blundered Greek is a genuine turning point. Greek legends had become formulaic and increasingly illegible; adding Aramaic-derived script signals a court that no longer needed Greek to speak to its own elite.

That change, visible on the coins over a few decades, foreshadows the fully Iranian Pahlavi legends of the Sasanians a century and a half later.

Parthian (Arsacid) Empire · 247 BCE – 224 CE

Era overview →

Vologases I Tetradrachm

Vologases I

51–78 CE

Vologases I founded a new dynastic branch and is credited by Pahlavi tradition with the first systematic collection of the Avesta. His reign coincided with Rome's wars over Armenia and the Treaty of Rhandeia (63 CE).

Frequently asked about Vologases I

Why did Parthian coin legends become illegible?
Greek was a court and administrative language borrowed from the Seleucids. As it fell out of use, engravers copied letterforms they could not read, producing blundered legends before Parthian script was introduced.
What was the Armenian settlement of 63 CE?
A compromise ending the Roman–Parthian war: a Parthian Arsacid ruled Armenia but was crowned by the Roman emperor, an arrangement that lasted roughly fifty years.
What coins did Vologases I issue?
Vologases I issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 51 CE – 78 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Seleucia-on-the-Tigris.
How many Vologases I pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 51 CE – 78 CE, spread across 1 era: Parthian (Arsacid) Empire.
Which metals were used for Vologases I coinage?
Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Vologases I?
Drachm, Tetradrachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Vologases I coins minted?
Recorded mints include Seleucia-on-the-Tigris.

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Denominations here

Metals here