Obol - Ardashir I

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.