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Obol - Narseh
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 293-303 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | 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 | 𐭭𐭯𐭱𐭩 |
| Reverse description | A fire altar with a fluttering ribbon is depicted centrally, flanked on each side by a standing royal attendant. Both attendants wear mural crowns; the left figure additionally bears a korymbos. Symbolic devices appear in the field flanking the altar flames, and a trefoil of pellets decorates the altar shaft, a diagnostic feature of Narseh's reverse type. An inscription in Inscriptional Pahlavi is present in the field. |
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| Additional information |
Narseh seized the throne after deposing his great-nephew Bahram III in 293, but his reign ended in humiliation at the Battle of Satala, where the Roman general Galerius routed the Sasanian army and captured the royal harem and treasury. The resulting Peace of Nisibis in 299 forced Narseh to cede five territories beyond the Tigris — the most damaging treaty Persia had signed with Rome in the dynasty's history.
This obol, at under half a gram, represents the smallest denomination in regular Sasanian silver production. The Göbl II/2 die classification places it among the earliest issues of the reign, predating the Nisibis capitulation.