Obol of Pakor II of Persis, ca. 1st century CE
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1st century CE
Issuing entity
Kingdom of PersisThis small silver coin is an obol issued in the first century CE by King Pakor II of Persis. Situated in southwestern Iran, Persis was the ancient core of the Achaemenid Empire and was later ruled by client monarchs under Seleucid and Parthian authority. Coins issued by these regional kings blended iconographic motifs from the Achaemenid, Seleucid, and Parthian traditions.
The front of the coin displays a left-facing royal bust of Pakor II featuring a prominent nose, an elongated beard, and long hair. The monarch is depicted wearing a domed tiara tied with a diadem—a royal headband originating from Greek athletic traditions—and a necklace or torque around his neck. The design on the reverse face of the coin is almost entirely illegible.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The coin was unearthed during archaeological excavations at Qasr-i Abu Nasr, situated near modern Shiraz. While the vast majority of artifacts discovered at the site belong to the Sasanian period dating between 224 and 651 CE, this object provides rare evidence that the settlement was also occupied during the Parthian era.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Silver
- Museum specimens
- The Met 36.30.329: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm)
Design
- Obverse
- A left-facing bust of the king with a large nose, long hair, and a long beard, wearing a torque or necklace and a domed tiara secured with a diadem.
- Reverse
- The reverse motif is almost impossible to identify.
Identification
- Issuing state
- Kingdom of Persis
- Museum accession numbers
- 36.30.329
- Issuer (museum attribution)
- Pakor II
- Reign as given by the museum
- ca. 1st century CE
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research Required: no specialist corpus type number is recorded here; confirm the type, die variety and mint against a published corpus of Kingdom of Persis coinage before citing one.