Persian Treasury
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Coinage of Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka)

1 catalogued issue of Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Vahbarz and Vadfradad were Frataraka rulers of Persis in the third and second centuries BCE — local Iranian dynasts in Fars who struck silver with fire temples and standards while Seleucid kings ruled from Syria. Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 140 BCE – 220 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Istakhr (Persepolis).

Catalogued
1
Eras
1
Metals
1
Denominations
2

Key facts

Key facts about Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces1
Date range140 BCE – 220 CE
Eras representedParthian (Arsacid) Empire
MetalsSilver
DenominationsDrachm, Tetradrachm
MintsIstakhr (Persepolis)
Period3rd–2nd century BCE
RegionPersis (Fars)
TitleFrataraka
LegacyIconographic ancestor of Sasanian coinage

The Frataraka

The title frataraka, roughly 'foremost' or 'governor', marks a line of rulers in the Achaemenid heartland who maintained Iranian religious and royal traditions under nominal Greek suzerainty.

Their coins are the earliest post-Achaemenid Iranian coinage with Aramaic legends: a ruler in Persian dress before a fire temple or standard, sometimes with a winged figure above.

Ancestors of the Sasanian type

The fire altar and standard imagery of Persis is the direct visual source for the Sasanian drachm reverse struck four centuries later. Ardashir I's family came from exactly this milieu.

The series is compact, well studied and highly collectable, though good silver is scarce and prices reflect its historical importance.

Parthian (Arsacid) Empire · 247 BCE – 224 CE

Era overview →

Persis Frataraka Tetradrachm

Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka)

c. 220–140 BCE

The Frataraka ('Foremost') were local princes of Persis (modern Fars) who minted in a deliberate revival of Achaemenid iconography — the ideological seed-bed of the later Sasanian dynasty. Image: related Persis silver of Darius II of Persis.

Frequently asked about Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka)

Who were the Frataraka?
Local rulers of Persis in Fars after the Achaemenids, striking Aramaic-legend silver with fire temple and standard imagery under nominal Seleucid suzerainty.
Why do their coins matter?
They preserve Iranian religious iconography through the Hellenistic period and supply the direct model for the Sasanian fire-altar reverse.
What coins did Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) issue?
Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 140 BCE – 220 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Istakhr (Persepolis).
How many Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
1 item, dated 140 BCE – 220 CE, spread across 1 era: Parthian (Arsacid) Empire.
Which metals were used for Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) coinage?
Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Which denominations are associated with Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka)?
Drachm, Tetradrachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Where were Vahbarz / Vadfradad (Frataraka) coins minted?
Recorded mints include Istakhr (Persepolis).

Explore related hubs

Denominations here

Metals here