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Drachm - Vahram IV
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 388-399 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Vahram IV facing right, wearing the distinctive royal Sasanian crown composed of a winged merlon surmounted by a korymbos (hair-globe) and adorned with a diadem. The king's elaborately styled hair falls in voluminous curls at the shoulder, and a beaded necklace is visible at the base of the bust. The portrait is rendered in high relief in the characteristic Sasanian artistic tradition, with fine detail in the crown and facial features. The field is bordered by a beaded circle. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Pahlavi (Middle Persian) |
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| Additional information |
Vahram IV ruled for roughly a decade during a period of relative quiet on the eastern frontier, but his reign coincided with intensifying Roman-Sasanian negotiation over Armenia — a buffer territory both empires had been contesting since the 360s. The partition of Armenia formalized around 387 effectively removed the kingdom as a flashpoint, and Vahram's coinage reflects a stable mint output rather than the disrupted issues sometimes seen under his more embattled predecessors.
The SNS reference places this among the earlier die groupings for his reign, distinguished by specific altar fire rendering details that later issues gradually standardized.