Persis obol of Vadfradad III, ca. 1st century BCE
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1st century BCE
Issuing entity
Kingdom of PersisThis small silver obol was issued by King Vadfradad III of Persis, who was also known in Greek as Autophradates, during the first century B.C. Persis was a southwestern Iranian territory that previously formed the center of the Achaemenid Empire. Under subsequent foreign hegemony, local client rulers minted currency that incorporated diverse symbolic traditions.
The obverse exhibits a right-facing portrait of the king featuring a long beard, a large nose, and a diadem. The reverse depicts a figure facing right before a structure that scholars have identified as either an altar or a temple. This building is surmounted by a pair of triangular crenellations and is bisected by a vertical line, perhaps suggesting the presence of doors. A dot beneath a horizontal line is positioned over the building, while a partially preserved Persian inscription runs beneath the scene.
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
Persis served as the southwestern Iranian heartland of the Achaemenid Empire before coming under Seleucid and Parthian control. During these later periods, client kings such as Vadfradad ruled the region, blending Achaemenid, Seleucid, and Parthian motifs on their coinage; the diadem, for instance, reflects imagery standard among Seleucid rulers. This coin was discovered during excavations at Qasr-i Abu Nasr near Shiraz. Although most recovered material from the site belongs to the Sasanian period dating between A.D. 224 and 651, this coin is among the few finds demonstrating that the location was also inhabited during the Parthian era.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Silver
- Museum specimens
- The Met 36.30.332: 3/8 in. (0.9 cm)
Design
- Obverse
- A right-facing bust of the king with a long beard, a large nose, and a diadem.
- Reverse
- A figure facing right standing before a structure topped with two triangular crenellations and divided by a central vertical line that perhaps indicates doors, surmounted by a dot beneath a horizontal line, with a partially preserved Persian inscription at the bottom.
Identification
- Issuing state
- Kingdom of Persis
- Museum accession numbers
- 36.30.332
- Issuer (museum attribution)
- Vadfradad III
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.