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Drachm - Yazdgerd III
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 641 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1⁄12) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭫𐭲𐭩 |
| Reverse description | Zoroastrian fire altar depicted at centre, shown as a stepped altar with a flame rising from the top, flanked by two standing attendants facing the altar, each wearing a crown and robes in typical Sasanian court style. The attendants stand in a formal, ritual posture with hands raised or holding implements. The entire design is enclosed within a double beaded border. Inscriptional Pahlavi legends appear to the left and right of the altar, recording the mint name and regnal year. Small star-and-crescent devices are placed outside the inner border at the three and nine o'clock positions. |
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| Additional information |
Yazdgerd III was the last Sasanian king, and this drachm dates to the final years of his reign as Arab forces systematically dismantled the empire province by province. The battle of Nihavand in 642 effectively ended organized Persian resistance, and Yazdgerd spent his remaining years fleeing eastward through Khorasan seeking allies he never found. He was murdered near Merv in 651, almost certainly on the orders of a local miller — an ignominious end to four centuries of Sasanian rule.
Silver drachms continued striking at regional mints even as the empire collapsed around them, making mint attribution critical for dating late issues precisely.