[ram hunting plate]

k a v a d  I



Kavad I, 1st reign

Son of Peroz I. Possible short reign/investiture 484 AD; 1st reign, 488 - 496 AD (interrupted by Zamasp); 2nd reign 498/9 - 531 AD. I'm having a slight problem assigning regnal years to AD dates for Kavad (and making them fit the different terms of his reign); for now I think I'll use: year 1 = 488 AD, year 11 = 498 AD (2nd reign start), year 33 = 520 AD, and year 43 = 530 AD. There were obviously important events occuring in years 11, 13, 20, possibly 25, and 33.

Denominations: D/6; d, Obol; U, U/12

Kavad I, 1st reign: Twenty (20) mints listed in SNS: AH, AM, ART, AS, AT, AW, AY, BN, BYSh, GD, GW, KA, KL, LD, LYW, MA, MY, ST, ShY, WH as listed in SNS. BHL (see below) [check].

Kavad I, 2nd reign: Thirty-nine (39) listed in SNS: AH, ALM, AM, AP, APL, ART, AS, AT, AW, AY, AYL, AYLAN, BN, BYST, BYSh, BShT, DA, DYWAN, DYWAS, DYWAT, GD, GNCKL, GW, HL, KA, KL, LD, LYW, MA, ML, MY, NY, PL, ST, Sh, ShY, WH, WYH, WYHC.

Regnal year to AD date conversion:

REGNAL
YEAR
AD
YEAR
NOTES REGNAL
YEAR
AD
YEAR
NOTES
1 488 1st crown; vertical shoulder ribbons 23 510
2 489 24 511
3 490 25 512
4 491 26 513
5 492 27 514
6 493 28 515
7 494 29 516
8 495 30 517
9 496 Reign of Zamasp 31 518
10 497 Reign of Zamasp 32 519
11 498 Reign of Zamasp
First dated issue (of Kavad)
33 520 Double reverse border
12 499 34 521
13 500 2nd crown; diadem ends through top border
Horizontal shoulder ribbons; stars and crescents
outside border on obverse
35 522 Juan-juan leader, P'o-lo-men, flees to Hephthalites.
14 501 36 523
15 502 37 524
16 503 38 525
17 504 39 526
18 505 40 527
19 506 41 528
20 507 Star before bust; annulets disappear from garment
Back to vertical shoulder ribbons
42 529
21 508 43 530
22 509 Hephthalites seize Sogdiana.


Gobl I/1 issue: 1st crown (crescent type) no date/vertical diadem ends; single reverse border

[Kavad I]22k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: WH
Regnal year: none/king's name
28 mm.
4.02 gm.
Mitchiner ACW 1015v.; Gobl SN I/1v.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Meaningless dots/blundered 'KaVAT' to right.
Reverse: Design on either side of altar has 3 pellets to right, 4 pellets to left (!). An early issue.
Note: This coin has an extremely odd style. Perhaps the die engraver wasn't exactly sure who the new king was going to be...

[Kavad I]21K JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: KA
Regnal year: none/king's name
27 x 28 mm.
3.93 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Odd style; courtesy William B. Warden, Jr. collection.

[Kavad I]20k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: AY
Regnal year: none/king's name
27 x 29 mm.
3.80 gm.
Mitchiner ACW 1016, Gobl SN I/1v.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Pahlavi legend'KaVA' base inwards.
Reverse:

[Kavad I]23k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: GW (?)
Regnal year: none/blundered king's name
28 x 30 mm.
4.09 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=22 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Pahlavi legend'KaVA' base inwards.
Reverse:

[Kavad I]31k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: BHL
Regnal year: none/king's name
28 mm.
3.59 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: Pahlavi legend'KaVA' base inwards.
Reverse:

[Kavad I]26k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: T
Regnal year: none
28 x 30 mm.
3.90 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=25 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse: No Pahlavi legend.
Reverse:
Note: This is an imitation.

[Kavad I]8k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Hemi-obol (?)
Mint: BYSh
Regnal year: none (?) [looks like 'SSh']
13 mm.
0.46 gm.
Mitchiner ACW -, Sellwood ISC -, Gobl SN -
Diameter of obverse dotted border=9 mm.; diameter of reverse border=9 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection. Struck from 1/6 Dinar dies (?)

[Kavad I]9k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AE 1/6 Unit
Mint: BYSh
Regnal year: (?)
17 x 18 mm.
0.77 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=13 mm.; diameter of reverse border=14 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Large 300%/150 dpi scan obv/rev [73K JPG]
Obverse: Three diadems through border at 2h, 6h, 10h.
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

[Kavad I]6k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AE 1/6 Unit
Mint: (?)
Regnal year: (?)
12 mm.
0.95 gm.
Gobl SN I/1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=7 mm.; diameter of reverse border=9 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Large 300%/150 dpi scan obv/rev [43K JPG]
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

Gobl I/1 issue: 1st crown (crescent type) dated years 11 and 12/vertical diadem ends; single reverse border

[Kavad I]21k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
498 AD
Mint: LD
Regnal year: 11
28 x 29 mm.
3.98 gm.
Gobl SN I/1; Mochiri ENIS II 1150
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.

[Kavad I]25k JPG
Kavad I (First reign 488 - 497 AD)
AR Drachm
498 AD
Mint: AW
Regnal year: 11
28 x 29 mm.
3.92 gm.
Gobl SN I/1; Mochiri ENIS II 1150
Diameter of obverse dotted border=20 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:




g o  t o  n e x t  p a g e




b a c k  t o  s a s a n i a n  i n d e x