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Coinage of Bahram V (Bahram Gur)

1 catalogued issue of Bahram V (Bahram Gur) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Bahram V (420–438 CE), the Bahram Gur of Persian legend, is the Sasanian king who passed into the Shahnameh as hunter and lover — and whose coinage includes gold dinars struck for the Indian frontier. Bahram V (Bahram Gur) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 420 CE – 438 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Gold at Sind.

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
1

Key facts

Key facts about Bahram V (Bahram Gur) in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range420 CE – 438 CE
Eras representedSasanian Empire
MetalsGold
DenominationsDinar
MintsSind
Reign420–438 CE
EpithetBahram Gur, 'the onager hunter'
Raised atLakhmid court of al-Hira
Notable coinageGold dinars of the Sind frontier

History and legend

Raised at the Lakhmid court of al-Hira, Bahram won the throne against opposition and reigned during a period of relative stability with Rome. Later Persian literature transformed him into the archetypal royal hunter, with the onager hunt that gives him the name Gur.

His coinage is entirely conventional Sasanian silver — which is itself the point: the legend grew around a reign that the material record shows as competent and unspectacular.

Sind gold

Gold dinars attributed to Sind mints under Bahram V reflect Sasanian involvement on the Indian frontier, where coinage circulated alongside Kushano-Sasanian and Gupta money.

Sasanian gold of any reign is scarce — the empire's money was silver — so frontier dinars are among the more significant items a Sasanian collection can hold.

Sasanian Empire · 224 – 651 CE

Era overview →

Bahram V Gold Dinar

Bahram V (Bahram Gur)

420–438 CE

Hero of Persian epic — celebrated in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Nezami's 'Haft Peykar'. Gold dinars are rare; eastern mints (Sind) supplied trade with India.

Frequently asked about Bahram V (Bahram Gur)

Who was Bahram Gur?
Bahram V, Sasanian king 420–438 CE, remembered in the Shahnameh and later Persian poetry as the great royal hunter and lover.
Did the Sasanians strike gold?
Rarely. Sasanian money was overwhelmingly silver drachms; gold dinars were prestige or frontier issues and are correspondingly scarce.
What coins did Bahram V (Bahram Gur) issue?
Bahram V (Bahram Gur) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 420 CE – 438 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Gold at Sind.
How many Bahram V (Bahram Gur) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 420 CE – 438 CE, spread across 1 era: Sasanian Empire.
Which metals were used for Bahram V (Bahram Gur) coinage?
Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Bahram V (Bahram Gur)?
Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Bahram V (Bahram Gur) coins minted?
Recorded mints include Sind.

Explore related hubs

Denominations here

Metals here