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Drachm - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 320-379 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Shapur II facing right, wearing the distinctive Sasanian mural crown surmounted by a large globular korymbos (hair mass) encased in fabric, with earrings and a beaded necklace visible at the shoulder. The king is depicted in high relief with a short beard, dressed in royal robes with detailed drapery at the chest. A Pahlavi royal legend surrounds the effigy, and the entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The artistic style is characteristic of early Sasanian coinage, with bold portraiture conveying regal authority. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stepped Zoroastrian fire altar depicted in the centre, with flames rising from the altar top, flanked by two standing attendants (fire priests) facing inward, each holding a barsom (ritual bundle of rods). The altar shaft bears the Pahlavi inscription denoting the sacred fire, and a mint mark appears to one side identifying the issuing mint. The scene is rendered in the formal, hieratic style typical of Sasanian reverse designs, enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Mintage | ND (320-379) |
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