Ardashir’s Eastern Campaign and the Numismatic Evidence

Abstract

This chapter examines the eastern campaign of Ardashir as the king of Fars based on numismatic evidence. Ardashir's coinage can be easily divided into three major phases according to its images and legends. The first phase is represented by a single type of coin minted in series, the second phase involved Ardashir's first minting phase of king of kings, and the third is marked by the introduction of a new coin type on the obverse showing Ardashir with a covered hairstyle. The metal analysis of four coins of Farn-Sasan has shown that their chemical composition is quite similar to those of the throne-successor coins.