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Drachm - Yazdgard I
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 399-420 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.17 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Pahlavi |
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| Reverse description | A fire altar with flowing ribbons at its base occupies the central field, flanked symmetrically by two robed attendants facing the altar. Pahlavi inscriptions appear to the left and right of the altar, on the altar shaft, and to the left of the flames. A crescent symbol is placed to the right of the composition. The design follows the standard Sasanian reverse type, emphasizing Zoroastrian religious imagery. |
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| Additional information |
Yazdgard I ruled for over two decades and broke sharply from his predecessors by adopting a policy of religious tolerance that extended to Christians, Jews, and Manichaeans — so markedly that the Armenian church called him "the Sinner" while Roman sources praised him as an ally. His reign coincided with the Treaty of 363 and its aftermath, a period in which Sasanian-Roman relations were unusually stable, allowing trade and silver to flow more freely than the frontier wars of his father Shapur II had permitted.
The SNS Ib1/1a variety distinction hinges on die-link details in the reverse fire altar attendant positioning — minor enough that examples regularly circulate between classifications in major collections.