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Obol - Narseh
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 293-303 |
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| Reference(s) | SNS Iran#II/5, Göbl Sasan#I/1, Sunrise#799 |
| Obverse description | Bust of Narseh facing right, wearing an elaborate Sasanian crown surmounted by a large globular element with radiating projections and a distinctive korymbos. The king is depicted in profile with fine facial detail, wearing bead-edged armor over the shoulders and chest. The bust is set within a beaded border encircling the entire flan. Inscriptional Pahlavi legends appear in the field to the right and left of the royal effigy, identifying the ruler. |
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| Mintage | ND (293-303) |
| Additional information |
Narseh seized the Sasanian throne in 293 AD by deposing his grandnephew Bahram III after a reign of just four months, making Bahram's coinage among the briefest-issued in the dynasty. Narseh's own rule ended in humiliation at the Battle of Satala in 297 AD, where Roman forces under Galerius captured the royal harem, treasury, and family — forcing a treaty that ceded significant territory and effectively ended Sasanian expansion westward for a generation.
The obol denomination in Narseh's name is notably scarce relative to his drachm output, and the Göbl classification places this among the earliest die-linked issues of his reign.