SASANIAN KINGDOM
Khusru I (AD 531-579)
AR Drachm. 3.51g, 29.2mm
MINTED: WYHC (Weh-az-Amid-Kavad) mint, RY 45 (AD 575/6)
REF: Göbl II/2; Karlsson D81 var. (RY)
OBVERSE: Cuirassed bust right, wearing mural crown with frontal crescent, korymbos set on crescent, and inner ribbon.
REVERSE: Fire altar flanked by two attendants, ribbon, star and crescent; regnal year to left, mint signature to right.

 
Notes:
Lightly toned. 
 
Provenance:
Ex Dr. David Majer Collection
 
Historical Notes:
The Sasanians came to power in Persia, when the founder of the dynasty, Ardashir I, defeated the last Parthian king, Artabanus IV, in AD 224.  During the course of the next four centuries, the Sasanian Empire would become a great regional superpower, at its height challenging the suzerainty and influence of the Roman and Byzantine Empires.  The power of the Sasanians declined precipitously after the first few decades of the 7th century, and they ultimately were conquered by the emergent Arab Muslim caliphate.  
 
Khusru I was the king of the Sassanid Empire in Iran from 531 to 579 CE. He is regarded as one of the greatest rulers of the Sassanid dynasty and is credited with numerous military, administrative, and cultural achievements. Khusru I expanded the Sassanid Empire's borders through military campaigns, reformed the taxation system to increase revenue, and encouraged the development of Persian literature and art. He also established a fair and just legal system, which earned him the epithet Anushirwan, meaning "the Immortal Soul." Khusru I's reign is considered a golden age of Persian history and his legacy has continued to influence Iranian culture and society.