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Drachm - Varhran II type I/2 - I/2a
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 276-293 |
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| Currency | Dinar (224 AD-651 AD) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A fire altar depicted in the center of the field, flanked by two standing attendants facing inward. The attendant on the left wears the winged crown associated with Bahram II (Wahram II), while the attendant on the right wears a mural crown; both figures are shown with a korymbos hair arrangement. The composition follows the canonical Sasanian reverse type, emphasizing the sacred fire cult and royal legitimacy. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Varhran II ruled a fractious empire — his reign saw the humiliation of the Roman emperor Carus, who died under disputed circumstances during a campaign deep into Mesopotamia in 283 AD, possibly struck by lightning, possibly murdered. That the Sasanians minted prolifically through this period reflects a court asserting ideological confidence even as internal dynastic tensions simmered, with Varhran ultimately suppressing a revolt by his brother Hormizd in the eastern provinces.
The type I/2a distinction in Göbl's classification rests on subtle die-link and crown variant criteria that make attribution without a reference copy genuinely difficult.