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Dinar - Ardashir I type III2/2
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 224-241 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bearded bust of Ardashir I facing right, wearing a close-fitting headdress surmounted by a globe, with a linear ornamental band along the headdress and two small ribbons positioned between the globe and the headdress; no bashlyk is present. The portrait is rendered in the characteristic Sasanian style with a bold, high-relief profile. A beaded border encircles the central design. A Pahlavi dynastic legend runs around the field identifying the king as Mazda-worshipper and ruler of kings of Iran. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A fire altar (atasdan) depicted as a stepped column with a capital and a multi-tiered base; a stylized tongue of flame rises from the capital, which is supported by stands in the form of lion-paw feet resting upon censers decorated with bows. The altar is rendered with careful architectural detail characteristic of early Sasanian coinage. A beaded or pointed border encircles the design. A Pahlavi inscription in the field identifies the altar as the fire of Ardashir. |
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| Additional information |
Ardashir I founded the Sasanian dynasty by defeating and killing the last Arsacid king Artabanus IV at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224 AD, and his gold coinage was among the first acts of the new imperial order — a deliberate assertion of Persian sovereignty over territory Rome had long treated as a manageable rival. The type III2/2 classification in Göbl's system reflects die-axis and reverse-type distinctions within a reign that saw considerable evolution in mint practice as Ardashir consolidated control from Persia proper outward.
Gold dinars of this reign are genuinely scarce in any variety. Sasanian gold was never struck in the volumes of silver drachms, which dominated everyday exchange.