Drachm - Varhran II type I/2 - I/2a

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.