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Drachm - Wahram II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 276-293 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Wahram II facing right, depicted with an elaborate curled beard and flowing hair, wearing a distinctive royal korymbos headdress surmounted by a globular hair bundle adorned with a dotted crown. The king is attired in a beaded necklace and richly decorated royal robes. Inscriptional Pahlavi legend surrounds the portrait within a beaded border, reading the royal titulature. The high-relief portrait displays the refined Sasanian court style characteristic of the early reign. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | mzdysn bgy wrhrn MLKAn MLKA 'yr'n W 'nyr'n MNW ctry MN yzd'n |
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| Additional information |
Wahram II is the only Sasanian king known to have depicted multiple figures on a single coin — a deliberate political maneuver reflecting his need to legitimize contested authority by including his queen and crown prince on the coinage. This practice was unprecedented in the dynasty and was not repeated by his successors. The reign itself was marked by the usurpation attempt of his brother Hormizd in the eastern provinces, a conflict that consumed the early years of his rule and almost certainly influenced the propagandistic weight placed on dynastic imagery across his issues.