Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 425 25 Jul 2018
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SASANIAN KINGS. Yazdgird (Yazdgard) III. AD 632-651. AR Drachm (32mm, 3.91 g, 9h). BBA (Court) mint. Dated RY 20 (AD 651). Bust right, wearing mural crown with frontal crescent, two wings, and star set on crescent; ribbon on left shoulder, crescent and ribbon on right; stars flanking crown / Fire altar with ribbons; flanked by two attendants; star and crescent flanking flames. Tyler-Smith Type 11/3, 147 (O138/R139); SC Tehran –; Sunrise –. Good VF, lightly toned. Very rare fixed axis year 20 drachm of BBA.
From the BRN Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 343 (28 January 2015), lot 315.
Our understanding of the coinage of the reign of Yazdgird III remains quite obscured today, mostly due to the circumstances of the Arab conquest of the Sasanian lands, and their own reuse of Sasanian coins in their conquered territory. Much of the coinage in the name of Yazdgird III are actually Arab imitations, possibly beginning after the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah in 636, and almost certainly after the Battle of Nahavand in 642, since the king was constantly retreating thereafter. Nevertheless, there is evidence that even after the defeat at Nahavand, there were periods of semi-stability in the remaining Sasanian territory, where Yazdgird would have had time to continue the operations of his government. Also, regardless of the personal situation of the king, his ministers certainly would have continued to perform their duties, and issuing coinage would have been necessary for at least some functions of the administration of the remnants of the empire. As far as evidence of official Sasanian issues among the coins themselves, Tyler-Smith noted that the issues of the BBA mint had a fixed die axis during all of the years leading up to the king's final year, 20. Then, at some point in year 20, the die axis became random, and at the same time, there was also a change in the style of the engraving. This change of die axis and style could suggest a point at which the king was killed, and thereafter the BBA mint-marked issues were a product of the conquering Arabs. The present coin is from the period before the change to random die axes, and thus it may represent the final issue of Yazdgird III.
From the BRN Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 343 (28 January 2015), lot 315.
Our understanding of the coinage of the reign of Yazdgird III remains quite obscured today, mostly due to the circumstances of the Arab conquest of the Sasanian lands, and their own reuse of Sasanian coins in their conquered territory. Much of the coinage in the name of Yazdgird III are actually Arab imitations, possibly beginning after the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah in 636, and almost certainly after the Battle of Nahavand in 642, since the king was constantly retreating thereafter. Nevertheless, there is evidence that even after the defeat at Nahavand, there were periods of semi-stability in the remaining Sasanian territory, where Yazdgird would have had time to continue the operations of his government. Also, regardless of the personal situation of the king, his ministers certainly would have continued to perform their duties, and issuing coinage would have been necessary for at least some functions of the administration of the remnants of the empire. As far as evidence of official Sasanian issues among the coins themselves, Tyler-Smith noted that the issues of the BBA mint had a fixed die axis during all of the years leading up to the king's final year, 20. Then, at some point in year 20, the die axis became random, and at the same time, there was also a change in the style of the engraving. This change of die axis and style could suggest a point at which the king was killed, and thereafter the BBA mint-marked issues were a product of the conquering Arabs. The present coin is from the period before the change to random die axes, and thus it may represent the final issue of Yazdgird III.