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Drachm - Ardashir I type IIIa/3b
| Issuer | Sasanian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Ardashir I facing right, wearing the distinctive Sasanian mural crown with korymbos (hair-bundle) enclosed in a globe atop the diadem. A continuous Pahlavi legend in Middle Persian script runs anticlockwise along the inner dotted border from approximately 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock, reading 'mzdysn bgy ʾrthštr MRKAn MRKA ʾyrʾn MNW ctry MN yzdʾn', translating as 'The Mazda-worshipping Lord, Ardashir, King of Kings of the Iranians, whose essence is from the gods.' The portrait is rendered in the characteristic early Sasanian style, with finely detailed drapery folds and a bold, authoritative profile. |
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| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | mzdysn bgy ʾrthštr MRKAn MRKA ʾyrʾn MNW ctry MN yzdʾn |
| Reverse description | A Zoroastrian fire altar of canonical Sasanian type occupies the center of the field, depicted with a stepped base and flames rising from the altar table. Flanking the altar shaft, the Pahlavi legend reads 'NWRA ZY ʾrthštr' (ādur ī Ardaxšēr), meaning 'Fire of Ardashir,' inscribed to the left and right of the altar respectively. The reverse design is executed in a plain, unadorned field with no additional attendant figures, consistent with the early coinage type IIIa/3b of Ardashir I's reign. The overall style is characteristic of the formative phase of Sasanian numismatic art. |
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