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Obol - Ardashir I
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 233-238 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Effigy of Ardashir I facing right, adorned with a diadem of type R and a close-fitting headdress surmounted by the characteristic korymbos with earflaps. A pellet is positioned on the chest and an additional pellet appears in the right field. The portrait is rendered in the formal Sasanian royal convention, with Inscriptional Pahlavi legend surrounding the bust within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Inscriptional Pahlavi |
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| Additional information |
Ardashir I founded the Sasanian dynasty by defeating the last Arsacid king, Artabanus IV, at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224 AD — ending nearly five centuries of Parthian rule. These fractional silver pieces served the small-transaction economy of a kingdom still consolidating its administrative and monetary infrastructure across the Iranian plateau. The obol denomination itself carries over from earlier regional practice rather than representing any Sasanian innovation.
The Göbl III/1/2 classification places this among the earlier emission groups, predating the more standardized late-reign issues.