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Pashiz / Unit / Chalkous - Ardashir I type III1/2
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 224-241 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stepped fire altar depicted in frontal view, its shaft and base rendered with horizontal registers typical of early Sasanian coinage; flames rise prominently from the altar bowl in multiple tongues. Ribbons or fillets decorate the altar shaft on either side. Pahlavi script legends flank the altar to the left and right within the field. No attendant figures are present, distinguishing this early type from later issues. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded circular border. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ardashir I founded the Sasanian dynasty by defeating and killing the last Arsacid king, Artabanus IV, at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224 AD — the very opening year of this coin's production range. The early copper issues of his reign remain poorly understood in terms of regional attribution, and the type III classification in Göbl's system reflects ongoing scholarly effort to impose order on a series that shows considerable die variation and inconsistent fabric across known specimens.
Copper coinage of the early Sasanian period circulated at a distinctly local level, largely absent from hoards that traveled distance.