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Pashiz - Shapur II
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 309-379 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Bronze |
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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 | Central fire altar with a fluttering ribbon, within which a royal bust appears amid the flames, a distinctly Sasanian devotional motif. Two attendants or priests flank the altar on either side, each wearing a mural crown and standing in a reverential posture. The composition is framed symmetrically, emphasizing the sacred nature of the Zoroastrian fire cult. Inscriptional Pahlavi legends appear in the field identifying the king and mint. |
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| Mintage | ND (309-379) |
| Additional information |
Shapur II ruled for 70 years — the longest reign in Sasanian history, and the only monarch crowned before birth according to tradition, a diadem reportedly placed on his mother's womb after his father Hormizd II died without a clear successor. His reign encompassed three wars against Rome, the persecution of Christians within the empire following Constantine's conversion, and the consolidation of Zoroastrian orthodoxy under Kartir's successors. The bronze pashiz occupied the lowest denomination of the Sasanian monetary hierarchy, produced in quantities sufficient for everyday market transactions but rarely surviving in collectible condition due to the corrosive soil conditions of Mesopotamia and Fars.
The Sunrise 857 variety designation indicates a die distinction from the principal catalogued type — worth cross-referencing against Göbl's Sasanian corpus for confirmation of the specific reverse configuration.