Sasanian Imitations, page 1

i m i t a t i o n s

still under construction [June, 2004]

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Shapur II

['Varhran'] 26K JPG

'Varhran II' (circa 340 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Cribb SI 19 -; Mitchiner ACW 1311 [Varhran II Kushanshah], Gobl Hunnen Em. 28A [Hunnic Intermediate Group - 'Varhran']
28 x 29 mm.
2.96 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Bust of Shapur II right; Pahlavi legend.
Reverse: Fire altar with two attendants.

Shapur III

19k JPG
Hunnic or Kidarite/Anonymous (circa 390 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 19 (Kidarites), Mitchiner ACW 1412v. [photo of 1411] (early Bactrian Hephthalite issue)
26 mm.
3.69 gm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Design imitative of Shapur III (383 - 388 AD). Long legend before face, 'Srio Shaho' in Bactrian script.
Reverse: Fire altar with bust of Ahuramazda in flames above; two attendants.

28k JPG
Anonymous (circa 390 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 29 (Kidarites), Mitchiner ACW 1318v. (Varhran III Kushanshah)
30 x 28 mm.
3.74 gm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Design imitative of Shapur III (383 - 388 AD). Blundered Pahlavi legend.
Reverse: Fire altar with bust of Ahuramazda in flames above; two attendants.

Varhran IV

['Varhran'] 28K JPG
Hunnic or Kushano-Sasanian/'Varhran' (circa 425 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 30 (Iranian Huns Intermediate Group), Mitchiner ACW 1322 [same dies] (Varhran III Kushanshah)
30 mm.
3.98 gm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran IV. Bearded bust right wearing earring and personal headdress of the Sasanian king, Varhran IV (388 - 399 AD). Blundered Pahlavi legend.
Reverse: Fire altar with bust above, right. Two attendants.

['Varhran'] 27K JPG
Hunnic or Kushano-Sasanian/'Varhran' (circa 425 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 30 (Iranian Huns Intermediate Group), Mitchiner ACW 1322 (Varhran III Kushanshah)
31 mm.
4.06 gm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran IV. Bearded bust right wearing earring and personal headdress of the Sasanian king, Varhran IV (388 - 399 AD). Blundered Pahlavi legend.
Reverse: Fire altar with bust above, right. Two attendants.
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

['Varhran'] 26K JPG
'Varhran' (circa 425 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 30 (Iranian Huns Intermediate Group), Mitchiner ACW 1322 (Varhran III Kushanshah)
28 x 29 mm.
3.59 gm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran IV (388 - 399 AD). Blundered Pahlavi legend.
Reverse:

25k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/'Goboziko' (?) (circa 450 AD (?))
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 32a (Iranian Huns Intermediate Group), Mitchiner ACW 1420v. (early Hephthalite coinage based on Kushano-Sasanian prototypes)
26 mm.
3.83 gm.
Die position=9h
reverse
Obverse: Very stylized design imitative of Varhran IV (388 - 399 AD). Tamgha and legend before face, 'Goboziko' (?) in Bactrian script; tamgha.
Reverse: Very stylized fire altar with four tamghas in border; two attendants.

Yazdgard I

22k JPG
Hunnic Imitation of Yazdgard I (399 - 420 AD), Gobl I/2 type
AR Drachm
Mint: __
Regnal year: none
Gobl Hunnen Em. 304
26 mm.
3.48 gm.
Gobl SN I/2 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse: Pseudo-Pahlavi (?) inscription to either side of bust in altar flame.

[Yazdgard I] 25k JPG
Soghdian (?) Imitation of Yazdgard I (399 - 420 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: GW
Regnal year: none
28 x 30 mm.
3.90 gm.
Gobl SN I/1 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=24 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse: Empty crescent above pellet to either side of altar flame; no 'rast' on altar shaft.
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

Varhran V

[Varhran V] 38k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MLW (?)
Regnal year: none
31 mm.
4.30 gm. (approx.)
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy James A. Farr collection.

[Varhran V] 26k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MLW (?)
Regnal year: none
30 mm.
4.11 gm.
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=25 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=2h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[Varhran V] 26k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MLW (?)
Regnal year: none
28 x 30 mm.
3.56 gm. (chipped)
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=25 mm.
Die position=2h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

86k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Gobl Hunnen Em. 282
31 mm.
3.94 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran V; countermark at 10h.
Reverse: Altar with attendants. Mint name to right (MLW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).

26k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Gobl Hunnen Em. 282
30 x 31 mm.
3.79 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran V; countermark at 1h.
Reverse: Altar with attendants. Mint name to right (MLW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.

16k JPG
Hunnic/Anonymous (circa 450 AD (?))
AR Unit
Gobl Hunnen Em. -; Mitchiner ACW -; Supplementa Orientalia III 306 type
25 x 24 mm.
2.14 gm.
Die position=n/a
reverse
Obverse: Very stylized design imitative of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD). Brahmi legend.
Reverse: Blank.

Yazdgard II

[Yazdgard II] 25k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Yazdgard II (438 - 457 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: none/Pahlavi 'good' (blunderded)
Regnal year: none
29 x 28 mm.
3.68 gm.
Gobl SN I/1 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=24 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

[Yazdgard II] 29k JPG
Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Yazdgard II (438 - 457 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: MLW (?)
Regnal year: none
30 x 31 mm.
3.79 gm.
Gobl SN I/1 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=26 mm.; diameter of reverse border=27 mm.
Die position=2h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

Peroz I

24k JPG
Hephthalites or Soghdian/Anonymous (circa 485 - 600 AD)
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 287 type
28 x 27 mm.
3.99 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Early imitation of Peroz I in the finest style; blundered Bactrian (?) legend.Tamgha behind crown.
Reverse: Based on the reverse of Peroz' coins. Fire altar with two attendants. 5 pointed star to left; crescent to right. Altar has two sets of ribbons. Blundered Pahlavi 'm' to left; legend to right obscured by die break.

19k JPG
Hephthalites/Anonymous (circa 485 - 600 AD)
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 287v.
28 mm.
3.92 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=20 mm.; diameter of reverse border=22 mm.
Die position=4h
reverse
Obverse: Imitative of Peroz I. 3 pellets below crown inverted.
Reverse:

25k JPG
Hephthalites/Anonymous (circa 600 - 685 AD)
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 288
30 mm.
3.16 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=20 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Caricatured bust right, wearing winged crown similar to the 3rd crown of Peroz; 3 pellets under crescent. Diadem ends in left and right field rising to 10h and 3h, respectively. Blundered Pahlavi legend (?) in front of bust. Four large pellets outside border. Tamgha to right; Bactrian word below.
Reverse: Based on the reverse of Peroz' coins. Fire altar with two attendants.

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