This coin was a Father's day gift from the kids. 4g and 30mm Persian Sasonid AR Drachm, but not sure exactly who it is. Seems to be 6th century, but really not sure the specific ruler. Was trying for a Khusru I, who was such a rival to Justinian. The beard may indicate a different king, but the Khusru II coins seems to have a much more elaborate crown symbol. Details on some of these online seem all over the place. The late Sasonid era is very interesting to me. Any input would be appreciated.
Nice gift and good kids! I have little knowledge on Sasanid coins, but here is a good website: http://grifterrec.rasmir.com/sasania/sasanian.html I would start in the 6th century, I think. Like Hormazd IV, for example: http://grifterrec.rasmir.com/sasania/sas_horIV_1.html
Your coin is from Hormazd IV (579-590 CE), you can read his name in front of his face. Mintmark on the reverse is HL (Herat, a city that is in what is now Afghanistan). There's also a date on the reverse but I am having trouble reading it. Definitely a neat Father's Day gift! The sites recommended by @svessien are good. My favorite book on Sasanian history is Touraj Daryaee's "Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire". Hope this helps!
Thanks for pointing me to the resources. My bookmark section continues to grow. The guy had one other Drachm and these pages should help in figuring out who that is. Between the two coins, this one was the better one. The other one had less detail on the king's side. I can speak Farsi and read, but the Pahlavi script threw me initially as it looks close to arabic. Need to ready up on this some more. Cheers!
