Persian Treasury
Ruler

Coinage of Ardashir I (founder)

1 catalogued issue of Ardashir I (founder) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Ardashir I (224–242 CE) overthrew the last Arsacid king and founded the Sasanian empire, replacing Parthian coinage with a new drachm design — royal bust with a distinctive crown, fire altar on the reverse — that lasted four hundred years. Ardashir I (founder) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 224 CE – 242 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Ctesiphon / Hamadan.

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
1

Key facts

Key facts about Ardashir I (founder) in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range224 CE – 242 CE
Eras representedSasanian Empire
MetalsSilver
DenominationsDrachm
MintsCtesiphon / Hamadan
Reign224–242 CE
DefeatedArtabanus IV at Hormozdgan, 224
OriginIstakhr, Fars
Coin innovationPahlavi legends, fire-altar reverse

From Fars to empire

Ardashir began as a local ruler in Fars whose family held the fire temple at Istakhr. His defeat of Artabanus IV at Hormozdgan in 224 CE ended nearly five centuries of Arsacid rule and installed a dynasty that consciously claimed Achaemenid descent.

The coinage announces that programme immediately: Pahlavi legends instead of Greek, a fire altar instead of a seated archer, and the title 'whose seed is from the gods'.

A design that endured

The Sasanian drachm is one of the most stable coin designs in history — a broad thin silver flan, crowned bust right, fire altar with attendants, mint signature and regnal year. Its familiarity is why Arab conquerors kept striking it for sixty years after 651.

Ardashir's own crown, a korymbos of gathered hair over a diadem, is the first in the crown sequence that lets collectors attribute Sasanian silver at a glance.

Sasanian Empire · 224 – 651 CE

Era overview →

Ardashir I Drachm

Ardashir I (founder)

224–242 CE

Founder of the dynasty after defeating Artabanus IV.

Frequently asked about Ardashir I (founder)

Who founded the Sasanian empire?
Ardashir I, a ruler from Fars who defeated the last Parthian king Artabanus IV in 224 CE and was crowned King of Kings.
What is on a Sasanian drachm?
A crowned royal bust with Pahlavi legends on the obverse, and a fire altar flanked by two attendants with mint signature and regnal year on the reverse.
What coins did Ardashir I (founder) issue?
Ardashir I (founder) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 224 CE – 242 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Ctesiphon / Hamadan.
How many Ardashir I (founder) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 224 CE – 242 CE, spread across 1 era: Sasanian Empire.
Which metals were used for Ardashir I (founder) coinage?
Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Ardashir I (founder)?
Drachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Ardashir I (founder) coins minted?
Recorded mints include Ctesiphon / Hamadan.

Explore related hubs

Denominations here

Metals here