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Drachm - Balash
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 484-488 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1⁄12) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Balash facing right, rendered in high relief in the Sasanian artistic tradition. The king wears his distinctive elaborate mural crown surmounted by a crescent-and-globe device, with voluminous curled hair and beard visible below. Drapery folds are rendered in stylized ridges across the chest. A Pahlavi inscription appears before the royal effigy reading 'hukay Wardāxš' ('The good king, Balash'). The design is enclosed within a double beaded border, with a prominent crescent-and-globe motif at the top of the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | before head, `hwkd wld[`hš]` = `hukay Wardāxš` (Translation: The good king, Balash` in Pahlavi) |
| Reverse description | Central fire altar with billowing ribbons, flanked symmetrically by two standing attendants facing inward in the classic Sasanian reverse composition. The shaft of the altar features a small portrait bust of Balash facing right, a distinctive iconographic element of his coinage. Above the altar flame, a star and crescent occupy the upper field. A Pahlavi legend to the left of the altar gives the king's name, while a mint signature appears to the right. The entire design is framed within a double beaded border. |
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