Drachm - Shapur II reversed monograms

Shapur II assumed the throne before birth — his succession was decided by Sasanian nobles who, anticipating a male heir, crowned his mother's womb. He would go on to rule for 70 years, the longest reign in Sasanian history. These early drachms, struck in the first decade of a reign that began in 309, predate the consolidation of his mint administration, which explains the reversed monogram anomaly catalogued across the SNS and Göbl references — an error of die cutting corrected relatively quickly, leaving a narrow production window.