Here is my first new coin of 2019, from Frank Robinson's latest auction: Sasanian Empire. AR drachm. Peroz (457-484 AD). Obverse: Bust right in early-type crown, name before. Reverse: Fire-altar with two attendants, star and moon above; mintmark BYSh (Bishapur), M where date would be. This coin: Frank S. Robinson Auction 107, lot 467 (2019). In 457, the Sasanian king Yazdegard II died. His oldest son, Peroz, would by custom be the successor, but Peroz was stationed as governor of Sistan province in central Asia, far from the capitol of Ctesiphon on the Tigris. In Peroz' absence, his younger brother seized the throne and began to reign as Hormazd III. Peroz was able to obtain help from the Hephthalites to wage civil war, and by 459 seized Ctesiphon and captured Hormazd, ending the civil war. Accounts differ on whether Peroz executed his brother or pardoned him; regardless, much of his reign would be spent in war. He first subdued a rebellious feudatory in the Caucasus. Next, he attempted peace with the Kidarites who had invaded parts of Transoxiana by offering his sister in marriage to the Kidarite king. However, Peroz tried to cheat and instead sent a low-status woman in her place. When the Kidarites found out, they moved to open warfare, but the Sasanians were successful and forced the Kidarites out of Transoxiana. A seven-year drought and famine struck from 464 to 471, and Peroz is credited with limiting the amount of death and suffering by careful management and sending relief supplies to the affected areas. Despite their earlier aid in bringing him to the throne, he fought three wars with the Hephthalites. Twice he was captured and had to pay huge ransoms for his release; the third time, in 484, he was killed in battle. Most drachms of Peroz are fairly common. The reverse has a mintmark, a feature of Sasanian drachms that had started during the reign of Varahran IV (388-399). Peroz added the regnal year to the reverse design, however this is only found on some of his coins, others feature a repeat of his name or (like this coin) just the letter M in the spot where the year would go. Peroz also used three different crown types on his coinage. The most common type, his last, features wings. This coin features one of the earlier two, but I am not quite sure which it is (they are very similar). I won this coin at $46 in Frank Robinson's auction, which was fairly cheap considering the good, clear portrait. Post your Sasanians here.
Great coin @Parthicus! I got my coin for $17 plus shipping. I bid $25, but I guess no one else bid so the price was reduced. Kind of a bargain pick-up.
A nice example, @Parthicus Peroz (459 - 484 A.D.) AR Drachm O: Crowned bust right, crescent on forehead. R: Fire altar with attendants and ribbon, star and crescent flanking flames; “Peroz” in Pahlavi to left, mint to right. 26mm 4g
A fascinating and important period in Oriental history. Here's my Peroz. Apart from Pahlavi lettering, there's the heavy jowl that identifies king Peroz. And because of the heavy fines imposed on Peroz, many thousands of his silver drachms went to the Kidarite and other Huns. These excellent high-silver coins were imitated by the Huns in less pure alloys, more or less showing the same crown and high jowl. See the typically Hun tamgha at the left of the king's portrait and the countermarks, always a sign of one authority subjugating another, in this case a Hun king who vanquished a Sasanian king.
By the way, I thought the OP coin that Parthicus won might have been a bit of a contemporary imitation, can you imagine? The style is a bit off. That eye is not very 5th century Sasanid. Of course, I can be wrong.
Very nice coins! Here's a couple of mine... Khusro II AR Drachm. Bust right, wearing mural crown with frontal crescent, two wings, and star-in-crescent, ribbons and crescents on shoulders; monogram behind head, stars flanking crown, double border, star-in-crescents in margin. Fire altar with ribbons; flanked by two attendants; date in Pahlavi to left, mint to right. SK (SISTAN, Zarang) mint, dated RY 37 (AD 628). Göbl II/3, Pl. no. 212. 4.14g, 33mm, 2h.Extremely Fine. Tabaristan ½ Drachm - "Ispahbadh of Tabaristan" Khurshid - 740-760 AD (Tabaristan mint 752/3 AD ) 2 gram Obverse-Bust right,crescent in right field, breast ornament with 4 pellets.Pellet above crown to right, Name in Pahlavi. Reverse- Fire altar with 2 attendants; star left and crescent right of flames.
My Peroz drachms are of the type with blundered king's name at reverse left. I have never found one with the M or the date in this position.
