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Drachm - Varhran II type I/4
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 276-293 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.27 g |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing bust of Bahram II (Varhran II) in high relief, wearing an elaborate globular crown surmounted by a korymbos (tied hair bundle) and adorned with a diadem, set within a beaded border. The king is depicted with a full, heavily stylised beard rendered in tight curls, consistent with Sasanian royal iconography. The bust is draped in royal garments, with the neck and shoulders visible. A Pahlavi legend identifying the king encircles the portrait within the beaded border. The engraving reflects the bold, schematic style characteristic of early Sasanian coinage. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Varhran II ruled during one of the Sasanian Empire's more fractious stretches — his reign saw simultaneous pressure from the Roman frontier under Carus and Diocletian, a usurpation by his own brother Hormizd in the east, and an internal religious conflict with the Zoroastrian high priest Kartir consolidating unprecedented clerical authority. The type I/4 classification in Göbl's system reflects a specific die pairing within Varhran II's extensive coinage, a reign long enough — seventeen years — to produce considerable typological variation that scholars are still sorting through.
SNS Schaaf 134 places this variety in the middle of the series. Die links between specimens in institutional collections suggest at least two active mints, though the primary striking location for this type remains contested.