Coins struck at Susa
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Susa, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Sasanian Empire.
In short
Susa was the administrative capital of the Achaemenid Empire and remained a mint city for a thousand years afterwards — Seleucid, Elymaean, Parthian and Sasanian coinage all issued from the same Khuzestan plain. Susa is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 590 CE – 591 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm denominations, issued under Bahram Chobin (usurper).
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 590 CE – 591 CE |
| Eras represented | Sasanian Empire |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Drachm |
| Issuers | Bahram Chobin (usurper) |
| Region | Khuzestan, south-western Iran |
| Achaemenid role | Administrative capital under Darius I |
| Seleucid name | Seleucia-on-the-Eulaeus |
| Later issuers | Elymaean, Parthian, Sasanian |
Four empires, one city
Darius I built his great palace at Susa and the Persepolis administrative tablets show it as the working seat of empire. Under the Seleucids the city was refounded as Seleucia-on-the-Eulaeus and struck Greek-style royal coinage; under Elymaean and Parthian control it produced distinctive local silver and bronze.
Sasanian issues from the region continue into the seventh century, so the Susa sequence offers an unbroken material record of monetary change on the Iranian plateau's western edge across a millennium.
What collectors find
The city's output is heterogeneous by design: royal Seleucid tetradrachms, Elymaean bronzes with degraded Greek legends, Parthian drachms, and Sasanian silver all carry Susa-region attributions.
Because the archaeological excavation history of Susa is long and well documented, provenance chains for Susa material are unusually traceable — an advantage when buying into a field where findspot data is normally lost.
Sasanian Empire · 224 – 651 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Susa
- Did the Achaemenids mint coins at Susa?
- Susa was the empire's administrative capital, but the imperial daric and siglos were struck chiefly at Sardis. Susa's minting importance is clearest in the Seleucid, Elymaean and Parthian periods.
- What are Elymaean coins?
- Coinage of a semi-independent kingdom in Khuzestan under Parthian suzerainty, notable for Greek legends that degenerate into ornamental marks over time.
- What coins were struck at Susa?
- Susa is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 590 CE – 591 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm denominations, issued under Bahram Chobin (usurper).
- How many Susa pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 590 CE – 591 CE, spread across 1 era: Sasanian Empire.
- Which metals were used for Susa coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Susa?
- Drachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.