IRAN ایران /Sasanian شاهنشاهی ساسانی ; A representative selection of drachms CE 459-590

Mints represented by the coins illustrated below. Map is adapted from SASANIAN NUMISMATICS by Robert Göbl (Sanford Durst, NY 1990).

Firuz I CE 459-484 پیروز 
AR Drachm 26 mm, 4.15 g, 3h. Rev Ardashir mint c. CE 462-467
Göbl 171
O: KADI FIRUCHI MAZ(DISN) "Fortunate Firuz the worshipper of Mazda"
R: mint mark RI on right and symbol in place of date on left.

Kurush I Anurshivan CE 531-579 انوشيروان
AR Drachm 30 mm, 4.1 g, 9 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 26/CE 556-557
Göbl 198 v

Kurush I Anurshivan CE 531-579 انوشيروان
AR Drachm 30 mm, 3.99 g, 3 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 42/CE 572-573
Göbl 198 v

Kurush I Anurshivan CE 531-579 انوشيروان
AR Drachm 32 mm, 3.93 g, 3 h. Nishapur mint, Yr. 45/CE 575-576
Göbl 198 v

Hormizd IV CE 579-590 هرمز چهارم
AR Drachm 30 mm, 3.81 g, 4 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 7/CE 585-586
Göbl 202

Hormizd IV CE 579-590 هرمز چهارم
AR Drachm 32 mm, 3.91 g, 2 h. Ram Auhrmazd mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 200 v

Hormizd IV CE 579-590 هرمز چهارم
AR Drachm 29 mm, 3.84 g, 9 h. Ayran/Sush mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 200

Hormizd IV CE 579-590 هرمز چهارم
AR Drachm 31 mm, 4.0 g, 3 h. Meshan mint, Yr. 10/CE 588-589
Göbl 201 v

Hormizd IV CE 579-590 هرمز چهارم
AR Drachm 31 mm, 4.0 g, 3 h. Bishapur mint, Yr. 12/CE 590
Göbl 202


All Ex: CNG 339:661 (19.11.14)

Byzantine/Anastasius CE 491-518

AE Follis, 30mm, 18.01g, 7h,  Constantinople mint off. B or more likely E

Sear 19

O: diad draped bust r, DNANASTA----SIVSPPAVC
R: large M with cross atop, B or E below, stars to right and left and CON in ex.


Anastasius is well known for his achievements in finance that kept the Byzantine Empire in the black for some time to come after his death. Though he should also be remembered for his long life at a time when most people were fortunate to reach 30. Anastasius was born around CE 430 and died approximately 88 years later in CE 518. There are records of others who lived well past their "sell by dates" in antiquity, but Anastasius lived nearly three average life spans.

Anastasius wasn't the only person in antiquity that lived to a ripe old age. While were on the subject of long lives in antiquity, there is a fragmentary tombstone of a veteran of Legio II Augusta from Caerleon, UK that reads: "To the spirits of the departed. Julius Valens, veteran of the Second Legion Augusta, lived 100 years. Julia Secundina, his wife and Julius Martinus, his son, had set this up." It's thought that this stone dates from the early third century CE. (reference: page 142 of Wacher, J The Coming of Rome, London, RKP, 1979 a volume in the "Britain Before the Conquest" series).

ISLAMIC/Abbasid; al-Muqtadir AH 295-320/CE 908-932 (المقتدر بالله‎)

AR Dirham, 25mm, 4.76 g, 7h, likely Madinat as-Salam (Baghdad) mint AH 317/CE 929-930

Album 246.2

O: heir "Abul-'Abbas bin Amir al-Mu'minin" named 
R: Caliph named as "al-Muqtadir billahi" in fourth line of central inscription. 

ISLAMIC/Khwarezm Shahs; 'Ala ad-din Muhammad (علاءالدین محمد) CE 1200-1220; three Jitals

 A

B

A & B are the same issues of the Rajput Bull type minted in Peshawar. Note two different obs and rev dies were utilized in the striking of these two examples.

both are Tye 293 v

and Album 1741

A is 16 mm and 2.98 g

B is 14 mm and 3.3 g

AE Jital, 17mm, 2.22 g, Kurzuwan mint.

Tye 246
Album 1731.2

O: Kurz/uwan in center with As-Sultan al-'Azim Muhammad bin as-Sultan around
R; Shahada below Allah, and "an-Nasir" at bottom.

 cf. Kurzuwan Mongol seige issues of similar type