Coinage of Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian)
1 catalogued issue of Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.
In short
Yazdegerd III (632–651 CE) was the last Sasanian King of Kings, crowned as a boy into a collapsing state and killed in flight near Merv — and his regnal years continued to be used on coins long after his death. Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 632 CE – 651 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver.
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 632 CE – 651 CE |
| Eras represented | Sasanian Empire |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Drachm |
| Reign | 632–651 CE |
| Key defeats | Qadisiyyah (636), Nahavand (642) |
| Death | Near Merv, 651 CE |
| Legacy | Yazdegerd era still used in Zoroastrian dating |
The end of an empire
Defeats at Qadisiyyah and Nahavand broke Sasanian military power within a decade of his accession. Yazdegerd retreated eastward seeking support and was murdered near Merv in 651, ending four centuries of Sasanian rule.
His coinage is mostly conventional drachm work from mints still functioning as the state disintegrated — a monetary system outlasting the government that created it.
The Yazdegerd era
Arab-Sasanian governors dated coins by the Yazdegerd era for decades after his death, and the Zoroastrian calendar still counts from his accession. A dead king remained the reference point for reckoning time in Iran.
That continuity is the single best illustration of what the Arab conquest did and did not change: sovereignty shifted; the machinery of administration, dating and coinage did not.
Sasanian Empire · 224 – 651 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian)
- Who was the last Sasanian king?
- Yazdegerd III, who reigned from 632 to 651 CE and was killed near Merv while trying to raise support against the Arab conquest.
- What is the Yazdegerd era?
- A calendar counted from his accession in 632 CE, used on Arab-Sasanian coinage and still used in the Zoroastrian calendar.
- What coins did Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) issue?
- Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 632 CE – 651 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver.
- How many Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 632 CE – 651 CE, spread across 1 era: Sasanian Empire.
- Which metals were used for Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian) coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Yazdegerd III (last Sasanian)?
- Drachm. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.
Explore related hubs
Denominations here
Metals here
More ruler pages
- Mohammad Reza Shah · 16
- Naser al-Din Shah Qajar · 8
- Reza Shah Pahlavi · 6
- Fath-Ali Shah Qajar · 4
- Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar · 2
- Muzaffar al-Din Shah era · 2
- Nader Shah Afshar · 2
- Shapur I · 2
- 'Adud al-Dawla (Buyid) · 1
- 'Ala' al-Din Muhammad II · 1
- Abd al-Malik (post-reform) · 1
- Abd al-Malik I (Samanid) · 1
- All hubs →