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Obol - Varhran I type I/1
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 273-276 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bust of Bahram I (Varhran I) facing right, wearing the distinctive Sasanian royal crown adorned with a korymbos (hair bundle) and lateral wing ornaments, with a prominent beard rendered in stylized parallel locks. The king is depicted in profile with a draped shoulder, typical of early Sasanian regal portraiture. A circular Pahlavi legend surrounds the effigy within a beaded border, reading the royal titulature of the king. |
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| Reverse description | A stepped Zoroastrian fire altar at center, with flames rising from its top, flanked on either side by two standing attendant figures facing the altar in a devotional posture. The attendants are rendered in the characteristic Sasanian style, dressed in long robes. A short Pahlavi inscription appears in the field. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border, a hallmark of early Sasanian coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Vahram I ruled for only three years before dying of illness, leaving little time for substantial monetary policy — yet the die workshops managed to produce at least two distinct obol types under his name. The Type I/1 classification in Göbl's system places this among the earliest issues of his reign, before subtle reverse die modifications produced the subsequent variant. Sasanian fractional silver of this period circulated primarily in the eastern provinces, where small-denomination coinage filled transactional gaps that the larger drachm could not.