SASANIAN KINGS. Shapur I, 240-272. Drachm (Silver, 25 mm, 3.85 g, 3 h), mint I (‘Ctesiphon’). ‘mzdysn bgy šhpwhry MRKAn MRKA ʾyrʾn MNW ctry MN yzdʾn’ = ‘mazdēsn bay Šābuhr šāhān šāh Ērān kē čihr az yaz(a)dān’ (‘The Mazda-worshipping Lord Shapur, King of Kings of the Iranians, whose essence is from the gods’ in Pahlavi) Diademed and draped bust of Shapur I to right, wearing mural crown with a great korymbos on top and long earflaps; long beard with two rings and thick tufts of curly hair at the back; two ribbons rising from behind head. Rev. Zoroastrian fire altar flanked by two regal attendants wearing mural crowns and holding scepters; the symbol of ‘frawahr’ in the upper field to the left of the flames; the so-called ‘symbol of the heir’ in the upper field to the right of the flames; to right and left, ‘NWRA ZY - šhpwhry’, i.e. ‘ādur ī Šābuhr’ (‘Fire of Shapur’ in Pahlavi). Göbl type I/1. SNS I, type IIc/1b, style P. Lightly toned. Struck from a somewhat corroded obverse die and with some areas of weakness on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.


The symbol of ‘frawahr’, the guardian spirit in Zoroastrianism, not only referred to the guardian spirit of kingship, but also was used as the emblem of the royal treasury.