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1/2 Drachm - 'Ispahbadh of Tabaristan' Farrukhan the Great Arab-Sasanian
| Issuer | Dabuyid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 727-728 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Drachm |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bust of the Ispahbadh Farrukhan the Great facing right in the Sasanian royal tradition, wearing an elaborate winged crown surmounted by a crescent and orb finial. The effigy is rendered in high relief with a prominent beard and stylized facial features characteristic of late Sasanian artistic convention. A beaded inner border encircles the portrait, with Pahlavi legends disposed in the surrounding field identifying the ruler and his title. Small star and crescent devices appear in the field flanking the bust. The overall design closely follows Sasanian prototypes while incorporating regional Tabaristani stylistic elements. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Pahlavi |
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| Additional information |
Farrukhan the Great ruled Tabaristan as an essentially independent power while nominally acknowledging Umayyad suzerainty — a careful political balancing act that allowed the Dabuyid dynasty to survive well into the Abbasid period. These fractional dirhams were struck in the local Arab-Sasanian tradition, blending Umayyad monetary conventions with the older Sasanian coinage forms the population had used for generations. The Alburz mountain range made Tabaristan notoriously difficult to conquer, and Arab governors never fully displaced local dynastic authority there.