★ A dinar of Shapur II ★

SASANIAN KINGS. Shapur II, 309-379. Dinar (Gold, 20 mm, 7.30 g, 5 h). Draped bust of Shapur II to right, wearing mural crown with korymbos; deteriorated legend around, ‘mzdysn bgy šhpwhry MRKAn MRKA ʾyrʾn W ʾnyrʾn’ = ‘mazdēsn bay Šābuhr šāhān šāh Ērān ud Anērān’ (‘The Mazda-worshipping Lord, Shapur, King of Kings of the Iranians and Non-Iranians’ in Pahlavi). Rev. Fire altar with ribbons; to left and right, ‘NWRA ZY - šhpwhry’ = ‘ādur ī Šābuhr’ (‘Fire of Shapur’ in Pahlavi). Göbl type Ia/7. SNS III/2, type Ib1/2a. Cleaned and with some doubling and bangs on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.

From the Asha & Ardeshir Dabestani Collection, formed over the past four decades.