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Hemidrachm - Ardakhshir IV
| Issuer | Persis, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 180-200 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Diademed and bearded bust of Artaxerxes IV (Ardakhshir IV) facing left, hair gathered in a pronounced bunch above the head. The effigy is rendered in the distinctive Perside style, with finely detailed beard and elaborate royal headdress. An Aramaic legend appears in the right field. The portrait displays the characteristic high-relief, stylized craftsmanship associated with late Persis dynastic coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Aramaic |
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| Additional information |
Ardakhshir IV ruled Persis as a vassal kingdom under Parthian suzerainty during the late second century AD, one of a line of local dynasts who maintained the old Achaemenid cultural traditions long after Alexander's conquest had formally ended Persian imperial rule. The Persis rulers were unusual in the ancient world for sustaining a recognizably Iranian dynastic coinage — in Aramaic script, with fire altar reverses — for nearly five centuries under successive foreign overlords.
The hemidrachm denomination was the workhorse of Persis local exchange. Alram 648 and Sunrise 675 align on this type without significant die variety disputes.