Silver Hemidrachm from the Kingdom of Persis (2,200-1,800 years ago
This silver hemidrachm was issued by the semi-independent Kingdom of Persis (located in present-day Fars Province, Iran), the heartland of Persian civilization. It represents a period when local Persian rulers maintained cultural and political autonomy despite being surrounded by powerful Hellenistic and later Parthian empires.
Coin Description:
Front side: Typically shows the profile of a local Persian king wearing a distinctive tall crown or headdress styled after earlier Achaemenid royal imagery.
Back side: Depicts a Fire Altar, the central religious symbol of Zoroastrianism. The altar often has flames rising from it and may include attendant figures or other Zoroastrian symbols.
Technical Details:
Material: Silver
Denomination: Hemidrachm (half of a drachm, a common silver denomination)
Minting date/period: c. 223 BCE - 200 CE (approximately 2,200-1,800 years ago)
Condition: Varies by specimen
Historical Significance:
This coin represents the cultural resistance of Persis (modern southern Iran) against outside domination. While surrounded by Hellenistic influences and later the Parthian Empire, Persis maintained its traditional Persian identity and religious practices centered on Zoroastrianism. The Fire Altar on the reverse symbolizes this religious continuity. Notably, it was from this region that Ardashir I would later emerge to overthrow the Parthians and establish the mighty Sassanian Empire in 224 CE, restoring Persian imperial power.
This silver hemidrachm was issued by the semi-independent Kingdom of Persis (located in present-day Fars Province, Iran), the heartland of Persian civilization. It represents a period when local Persian rulers maintained cultural and political autonomy despite being surrounded by powerful Hellenistic and later Parthian empires.
Coin Description:
Front side: Typically shows the profile of a local Persian king wearing a distinctive tall crown or headdress styled after earlier Achaemenid royal imagery.
Back side: Depicts a Fire Altar, the central religious symbol of Zoroastrianism. The altar often has flames rising from it and may include attendant figures or other Zoroastrian symbols.
Technical Details:
Material: Silver
Denomination: Hemidrachm (half of a drachm, a common silver denomination)
Minting date/period: c. 223 BCE - 200 CE (approximately 2,200-1,800 years ago)
Condition: Varies by specimen
Historical Significance:
This coin represents the cultural resistance of Persis (modern southern Iran) against outside domination. While surrounded by Hellenistic influences and later the Parthian Empire, Persis maintained its traditional Persian identity and religious practices centered on Zoroastrianism. The Fire Altar on the reverse symbolizes this religious continuity. Notably, it was from this region that Ardashir I would later emerge to overthrow the Parthians and establish the mighty Sassanian Empire in 224 CE, restoring Persian imperial power.
This silver hemidrachm was issued by the semi-independent Kingdom of Persis (located in present-day Fars Province, Iran), the heartland of Persian civilization. It represents a period when local Persian rulers maintained cultural and political autonomy despite being surrounded by powerful Hellenistic and later Parthian empires.
Coin Description:
Front side: Typically shows the profile of a local Persian king wearing a distinctive tall crown or headdress styled after earlier Achaemenid royal imagery.
Back side: Depicts a Fire Altar, the central religious symbol of Zoroastrianism. The altar often has flames rising from it and may include attendant figures or other Zoroastrian symbols.
Technical Details:
Material: Silver
Denomination: Hemidrachm (half of a drachm, a common silver denomination)
Minting date/period: c. 223 BCE - 200 CE (approximately 2,200-1,800 years ago)
Condition: Varies by specimen
Historical Significance:
This coin represents the cultural resistance of Persis (modern southern Iran) against outside domination. While surrounded by Hellenistic influences and later the Parthian Empire, Persis maintained its traditional Persian identity and religious practices centered on Zoroastrianism. The Fire Altar on the reverse symbolizes this religious continuity. Notably, it was from this region that Ardashir I would later emerge to overthrow the Parthians and establish the mighty Sassanian Empire in 224 CE, restoring Persian imperial power.