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Drachm - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 320-379 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.98 g |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Shapur II facing right, surmounted by a mural crown topped with a korymbos (hair ball enclosed in a spherical diadem) and an inner ribbon. A large Pahlavi letter appears in the right field, serving as a mint or regnal identifier. The portrait is rendered in the bold, stylised relief characteristic of early Sasanian coinage, with pronounced facial features and elaborate royal headdress conveying regal authority. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stepped fire altar is depicted at centre, its flames incorporating a bust facing right, symbolising the sacred Zoroastrian fire and the divine legitimacy of the Sasanian monarch. Two royal attendants flank the altar symmetrically, each wearing a mural crown surmounted by a korymbos and adorned with a ribbon, holding their staves in formal court posture. The composition is enclosed within a beaded border, with Pahlavi legends in the fields identifying the king and, in some specimens, the mint. The scene follows the standard Sasanian reverse type established under Ardashir I and maintained throughout the dynasty. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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