After long break..I got some more coins..Some I still need to find out..This one is very interesting..3.17gr 28.5mm..Any ideas of origin?
Ajax is correct, it's Varahran II (275-283 AD) of the Sasanian dynasty of Persia, shown with his queen and his son. This is a scarcer type in the Sasanian series, so I would have it examined in person to confirm authenticity.
I think I saw that coin being offered and I had concerns about the surfaces. Look at hundreds of Sasanian drachms and those surfaces stand out as unusual, and not in a good way.
It looks Sassanid but this is not my garden. Anyway it's a spectacular type of iconography! I´m with Ajax: http://www.fouman.com/Y/Get_Iranian_History_Today.php?artid=31 (but there is something a little strange in his art... , an imitation, maybe?)
Its a real type of coin, @medoraman has one in his profile and owns one. They are a bit rareand when they come up, expensive. It would be a nice jewel to have in my collection. Can't say if the OP coin is real, so sorry.
There are quite a few different styles of these with different head gear and style. I do not feel qualified to say yes or no on authenticity. I bought mine from a dealer I trust and I like the style compared to others I have seen. I am less fond of the style of the OP coin and would only buy it if it came with a pedigree through a knowledgeable seller. That does not mean I believe the coin is fake it just means I am not skilled in these to the point my opinion would have meaning.
I have the SNS reference for this king. There are many styles as others have said, but also many fakes out there. Its an expensive coin, and I myself bought a fake once by not checking out the style beforehand against major published references like SNS. I can try to check out the OP coin versus the SNS tonight if he wants me to.
If you find out any additional information that would be nice..I normally buy coins from reliable sources..I requested info for other coins before in this group, some stated that they could be fake..They all turned out to be authentic..
Always remember the Sassanians were a huge empire that was in many ways much more diverse than the Roman one. As such, die cutting skills and preferred styles varied much more than people think they did. I was not commenting at all that I think yours is false, but I simply have found it helpful to always match an unusual style such as yours to a known authentic piece helps ease doubts. Since the coins are so thin, other telltale things you look for are frequently missing. Btw, fun trivia. The reason Sassanid coins are so thin is Ardashir wanted to immediately issue large amounts of new coinage when he prevailed. He didn't have silver though, so the quick way to do so was to hammer flat Roman denari and Parthian silver coins and restrike them. You will notice Sassanian coins, while larger around, are the same weight as Parthian and earlier denarius issues.
Maybe it´s only an "real" imitation (more or less achieved) of the same period (I have some celtic imitations of other celtic coins that looks fakes).
