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Drachm - Shapur I
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 244-253 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1⁄12) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing bust of Shapur I in high relief, wearing the distinctive Sasanian korymbos crown surmounted by a large globe, adorned with pearl diadem and elaborate jewelled necklace with pendant. The king's hair flows in large curled locks behind the bust. The effigy is rendered in the characteristic Sasanian artistic style with bold, sculptural modeling. The Pahlavi royal inscription encircles the bust within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Smooth |
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| Additional information |
Shapur I came to power following the death of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, and almost immediately launched the first of three major campaigns against Rome. By 244 he had forced a humiliating peace on Philip the Arab after the Battle of Misiche — a Roman defeat so significant that Shapur commemorated it on rock reliefs at Naqsh-e Rostam. The coinage of this reign therefore circulates against one of the most aggressive westward expansions in Sasanian history, preceding the even more remarkable capture of the emperor Valerian in 260.
The Göbl I/1 die pairing is the earliest classified emission of Shapur's reign, struck before the obverse portrait type had fully stabilized across issues.