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Drachm - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 320 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing bearded bust of Shapur II in high relief, wearing an elaborate mural crown surmounted by a distinctive globular korymbos (hair bundle) encased in a fabric covering, adorned with multiple tiers. The king is dressed in beaded court regalia with a necklace and earring visible; long curled locks fall behind the neck and shoulders. Inscriptional Pahlavi legend surrounds the effigy within a beaded border, reading 'the Mazda-worshipping divine Shapur, King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran, whose lineage is from the Gods.' The portrait style is characteristic of early Sasanian coinage, exhibiting strong plastic modeling and fine die-cutting. |
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| Reverse script | Inscriptional Pahlavi |
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| Additional information |
Shapur II ruled for seventy years — the longest reign in Sasanian history, spanning 309 to 379 AD — and uniquely was crowned before birth, the diadem placed on his mother's womb by the nobility after his father Hormizd II was killed and his older brothers sidelined. The early coinage of his reign, to which this drachm belongs, predates his major military campaigns against Rome and reflects a mint still consolidating authority rather than broadcasting triumph.
The Göbl Ia/7 reverse die classification places this among the earliest recognized type groupings of his output.