Knowra Sasanian coinage Sasanian coinage The silver, gold, and copper currency issued by Sasanian rulers from the third to seventh centuries. Its designs commonly pair royal portraits with fire altars and inscriptions.
Sasanian drachm : The principal silver denomination of the Sasanian Empire, typically bearing a ruler’s portrait and a fire altar. Its widespread circulation made the silver drachm the backbone of Sasanian monetary exchange.
Sasanian–Roman relations : The political, military, and diplomatic relationship between the Sasanian and Roman empires. Coin finds and imitations trace currency across a frequently contested frontier.
Sasanian Empire : The Iranian empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty from 224 to 651 CE. Its rulers issued the currency that gives Sasanian coinage its name.
Arab-Sasanian coinage : Early Islamic coins that retained Sasanian designs and often Middle Persian inscriptions. The first Arab rulers in Iran adapted existing Sasanian currency rather than replacing it at once.
Sasanian mint marks : Short marks on Sasanian coins identifying the mint and often the year of issue. Their combinations help locate and date individual coin issues.
Silk Road : A network of trade routes linking East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Sasanian silver traveled through the routes that connected western and central Asia.
Ardashir I : The founder of the Sasanian Empire, who overthrew the Parthian Arsacid dynasty in the third century. His reign established the royal coinage tradition adopted by later Sasanian rulers.
Islamic coinage : Coins produced by Muslim-ruled states, with designs and inscriptions changing across periods and regions. Islamic monetary reforms eventually replaced inherited Sasanian-style issues.
Sasanian regnal-year dating : A dating system that numbers years from the beginning of a ruler’s reign. Regnal-year marks on coins provide a chronology for successive issues.
Sasanian taxation : The fiscal system through which the Sasanian state collected revenue from land, people, and trade. Coinage supported the collection and spending of state revenue.
Show all 22