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Drachm - Varhran I type Ia/1 - Left-facing type

Issuer Sasanian Empire
Year 273-276
Type Coin pattern
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Reverse description A tall fire altar (atasdan) with a stepped base and capitellum occupies the center of the field. Flanking the altar are two attendant figures; the figure to the left wears the distinctive crown of Ohrmazd I and is identified as the god Ahura Mazda or a divine attendant bearing his stylized crown. A Pahlavi legend appears in the field to the sides of the altar and attendants.
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Reverse lettering NWR`ZY-wlhl`n
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Additional information

Varhran I ruled for just three years before his death in 276, leaving a coinage record thin enough that individual die studies still generate scholarly disagreement. The left-facing bust type — Type Ia in Göbl's classification — appears to be the earliest issue of his reign, predating the right-facing series that dominates his output. Whether the directional shift reflects a change in die engravers, a deliberate workshop decision, or something more politically symbolic remains unresolved. Schaaf's SNS corpus entry 102 documents the type but notes meaningful variation in flan preparation across surviving specimens.

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