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Obol - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 320-379 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Obol (1⁄72) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A Zoroastrian fire altar of stepped form occupies the centre of the field, rendered with a pronounced base and shaft. Two attendant figures flank the altar, each standing in profile facing inward, dressed in Sasanian court attire and holding staffs or swords; the figures likely represent royal guards or priests. Small heraldic devices or stars appear in the upper field to either side. The entire composition is enclosed within a beaded border, consistent with Sasanian hammered coinage style. |
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| Mintage | ND (320-379) |
| Additional information |
Shapur II ruled for seventy years — the longest reign in Sasanian history, and one that began before his birth, with the nobility reportedly crowning his mother's womb after his father Hormizd II was killed and his brothers blinded or imprisoned. The obol denomination served frontier and small-transaction needs throughout a reign defined by near-constant warfare: three separate wars against Rome, prolonged campaigns against the Chionites and Kushano-Sasanians, and the brutal persecution of Christian communities suspected of Roman sympathies.
The Göbl Ia/6a die pairing places this piece among the earliest phase of his coinage.