TEHRAN – Iranian police have seized 11 historical coins believed to date back to the Parthian era in Khorramabad, the capital of western Lorestan province.

The coins were discovered during a search of a private residence, according to the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Lorestan.

One person was arrested and handed over to the judiciary after the recovery of 11 Parthian-era coins, ISNA news agency reported on Monday, citing police officials.

The Parthian Empire, also known as the Arsacid Empire, was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BCE to 224 CE. Its name derives from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conquering Parthia, a northeastern region of Iran.

Under Mithridates I (r. c. 171–132 BC), the empire significantly expanded, seizing Media and Mesopotamia from the Seleucids. At its zenith, the Parthian Empire extended from the northern Euphrates River (modern central-eastern Turkey) to present-day Afghanistan and western Pakistan. Positioned along the Silk Road, the empire thrived as a hub for trade and commerce, connecting the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean to the Han dynasty in China.

AM