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Obol - Narseh type A/3
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 293-302 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Narseh I facing right, wearing the distinctive Sasanian royal crown surmounted by a large globular element adorned with pellets, with long curling hair flowing behind. The king wears elaborate beaded jewelry at the neck and shoulder, with finely rendered drapery over the bust. A Middle Persian inscription in Pahlavi script appears in the right field, identifying the ruler. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse description | A stepped Zoroastrian fire altar with a prominent flame rising from the capital occupies the center of the field, its tiered shaft rendered in careful relief. Two attendants, each wearing Sasanian court dress and crowned headgear, stand flanking the altar in profile facing inward; the figure to the left holds what appears to be a barsom bundle, while the figure to the right bears a sword or scepter and a shield. The composition is enclosed within a beaded border, conforming to the canonical Sasanian reverse design emphasizing dynastic fire worship. |
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| Additional information |
Narseh seized the Sasanian throne in 293 after overthrowing his nephew Bahram III in a coup backed by disaffected nobles, his legitimacy secured partly through the Paikuli inscription — one of the longest surviving Middle Persian texts — in which he argued his right to rule. The obol denomination served the empire's fractional coinage needs but was never struck in large volume, and Narseh's reign ended abruptly with a catastrophic defeat by Galerius near the Tigris in 298, forcing a humiliating peace at Nisibis that ceded substantial eastern territory to Rome.