Historical Context

Bahram VI, known across historical and literary traditions as Bahram Chobin (Middle Persian: Wahrām Čōbīn), emerged from the House of Mihran, one of the preeminent Arsacid-descended aristocratic houses centered in Rayy. Under the Sasanian king Hormizd IV (579–590 CE), Bahram attained high military status as spahbed of the Northeast. During the Perso-Turkic War of 588–589 CE, he led an army of elite Savaran cavalry to victory against a combined Western Turkic and Hephthalite force near the Oxus River, slaying the enemy commander identified in historical sources as Sava or Çur Bagha Qaghan.

Following a subsequent tactical setback on the Byzantine frontier along the River Araxes, Hormizd IV publicly insulted Bahram by sending him a spindle and female attire. In response, Bahram staged a military revolt against the monarch in late 589 / early 590 CE. As his forces marched toward Ctesiphon, a palace coup led by the nobles Vistahm and Vinduyih deposed and executed Hormizd IV, placing his son Khosrow II on the throne. Refusing to submit to Khosrow II, Bahram asserted that the House of Sasan had illegitimately seized power from the Arsacids. After routing loyalist troops outside Ctesiphon, Bahram drove Khosrow II into exile at the Byzantine court of Emperor Maurice and assumed the throne as King of Kings (Shahanshah) in 590 CE.

Bahram VI's rule lasted approximately one year (590–591 CE). Because he was not of Sasanian dynastic blood, his legitimacy was rejected by the Zoroastrian clergy and significant factions of the Persian nobility. Supported by Byzantine troops and Armenian contingents granted by Maurice, Khosrow II launched a counter-offensive. Bahram was defeated at the Battle of the Blarathon in 591 CE and fled east to the Turks in Fergana, where he was subsequently assassinated. Despite his vocal anti-Sasanian ideology, Bahram VI retained established Sasanian numismatic weight standards, metrology, and visual design to ensure the unhindered acceptance of his silver currency.

Obverse: Iconographic Composition

The obverse of the silver drachm exhibits the right-facing royal bust of Bahram VI, adhering to standard late Sasanian royal portraiture conventions:

  • Headdress and Regalia: The monarch is depicted wearing an elaborate mural crown featuring stepped merlons. A frontal crescent is positioned on the crown band, while a larger celestial crescent rests above the crenellations, holding the royal korymbos—the characteristic bundled globe of hair wrapped in silk.
  • Facial Features and Adornment: The portrait features a trimmed moustache, a pointed beard, and ear ornaments with drop pendants. Trailing diadem ribbons extend behind the head, and crescents decorate the shoulders.
  • Border and Marginal Elements: The bust is enclosed by a double circular dotted border. Positioned outside the outer circle at the cardinal directions (3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock) are four distinct astral devices, each comprising an inward-pointing crescent enclosing a star.

Obverse: Epigraphy and Inscriptions

The obverse carries two standard Middle Persian inscriptions arranged symmetrically in the field on either side of the royal bust:

  • Behind Head (10:00–11:00):

    • Transliteration: 'pzwn
    • Normalized Form: abzōn / afzōn
    • Translation: "Increase" or "May he increase"
    • Function: An imperial invocation common to late Sasanian coinage, denoting prosperity and divine increase. (Note: The rare gold dinar denomination displays the variant form 'pzwny; see British Museum O1895,1006.11).

  • In Front of Face (2:00–3:00):

    • Transliteration: wlhl'n
    • Normalized Form: Wahrām / Vahrām (modern Bahrām)
    • Translation: "Bahram"
    • Function: The personal and regnal name of the monarch, derived from Old Iranian Vərəθraγna, the Zoroastrian deity of victory.

Institutional records document these legends exclusively using Latin transliteration. In accordance with strict numismatic standards, mechanically reconstructed Unicode typography is omitted.

Reverse: Iconographic Composition

The reverse iconography represents the late Sasanian Zoroastrian fire altar (aturgāh) flanked by attendants:

  • Fire Altar Structure: The altar comprises a stepped base supporting a slender vertical shaft or column, tied with upward-curving diadem ribbons, surmounted by an altar table supporting sacred, stepped leaping flames.
  • Flanking Attendants: Two stylized figures stand on either side of the altar facing the center, attired in long garments and headdresses, leaning upon staffs or swords.
  • Upper Celestial Symbols: Adjacent to the altar flames in the upper field are astral emblems, conventionally arranged with a star to the left and a crescent to the right.
  • Border Elements: The altar composition is encircled by a triple dotted concentric ring. Outside this border, four star-in-crescent motifs are set in the cardinal margins.

Reverse: Epigraphy and Inscriptions

The reverse epigraphy is placed vertically down the left and right outer margins of the field:

  • Regnal Year (Left Field, 9:00):

    • Regnal Year 1: Transliterated as 'ywk or 'ywky (ēw / ēwēk = "One", corresponding to 590 CE). Documented on specimens such as BM 1928,0606.2 and CNG Triton XIV, Lot 527.
    • Regnal Year 2: Transliterated as dw or tryn (dō / tarēn = "Two", corresponding to 591 CE). Documented in published catalogues such as SNS Schaaf nos. 615, 616, and 618.

  • Mint Signature (Right Field, 3:00):

    • Documented Drachm Signatures:
      • WYHC: Attested for Years 1 and 2; attributed to Veh-az-Amid-Kavad (Arrajan).
      • GD: Attested for Years 1 and 2; attributed to Gay (Isfahan).
      • MY: Attested for Years 1 and 2; attributed to Meshan (Maysan).
      • MB: Attested for Year 1; attributed to Marv (illustrated in Göbl 1971, pl. 12, no. 203).

As with the obverse, readings are provided strictly in verified Latin transliterations without speculative Unicode reconstruction.

Typology and Documented Variants

The drachms of Bahram VI constitute a single typological class identified as Göbl Type I/1 (Göbl 1971, p. 53, pl. 12, no. 203). Typological metrics across documented comparison specimens reflect broad hammered flans of approximately 29.5–32.0 mm diameter, weights between 3.95 and 4.15 g, and an alignment regularized around 3 o'clock.

Documented External Comparanda

  • Regnal Year 1 (590 CE):

    • Mint WYHC: CNG Triton XIV, Lot 527 (Jan 3, 2011; Saeedi 271–272): 4.13 g, 32 mm, die axis 3h; SNS Schaaf no. 617 (4.01 g).
    • Mint GD: CNG Triton VII, Lot 658 (Jan 12, 2004): 4.00 g; Leu Web Auction 9, Lot 644 (Sept 7, 2019; Sunrise 975): 4.00 g, 31 mm, die axis 3h; SNS Schaaf nos. 613 (4.06 g) and 614 (4.05 g).
    • Mint MY: British Museum Collection Online, 1928,0606.2 (Kirkuk findspot): 4.10 g, 31 mm.
    • Mint MB: Göbl (1971), pl. 12, no. 203.

  • Regnal Year 2 (591 CE):

    • Mint GD: SNS Schaaf no. 615 (4.03 g).
    • Mint MY: SNS Schaaf no. 616 (4.01 g).
    • Mint WYHC: SNS Schaaf no. 618 (3.99 g).

(Note on Gold Denomination: Bahram VI also produced a gold dinar classified as Göbl Type II/2, known from the AYLAN mint [Susa], displaying the obverse legend 'pzwny; see British Museum O1895,1006.11, 4.430 g, 21 mm, and SNS Schaaf no. 612).

Note: Physical data and measurements cited here derive entirely from inspected museum and auction comparanda; unexamined specimens must not be presumed to match these specific physical metrics.

Scholarly Debates and Attribution Limitations

Numismatic study of Bahram VI's silver drachms encompasses several critical areas of scholarly discussion and attribution caveats:

  1. Ideological Paradox vs. Fiscal Conservatism: Literary sources such as al-Tabari and the Shahnameh record that Bahram Chobin positioned himself as an Arsacid restorer intent on overthrowing Sasanian hegemony. However, his coins adopt none of the Arsacid traditions (such as the bashlyk headgear or Greek lettering), adhering strictly to Sasanian mural crowns, fire altars, and Pahlavi script. Numismatists interpret this as an absolute economic necessity: ensuring wide acceptance of silver coinage by troops and merchants required strict adherence to the standards established under Hormizd IV.
  2. Mint Identification: The abbreviation WYHC was historically attributed by earlier scholars (such as F. D. J. Paruck) to Veh-Antiok-Khosrow near Ctesiphon. Modern administrative sigillography firmly identifies it as Veh-az-Amid-Kavad (Arrajan in Fars/Khuzestan). Similarly, the gold mint abbreviation AYLAN is identified not as a generic imperial mark for "Eran", but as Eran-xwarrah-Shapur (Susa).
  3. Identities of Reverse Attendants: While earlier scholarship occasionally characterized the reverse figures as specific individuals (such as the king, his heir, or Zoroastrian mobads), modern research cautions that these represent conventionalized ritual guardians or palace sentries, rather than historical portraits.
  4. Regnal Chronology and Calendar Turnover: Because Bahram's reign extended only from summer 590 to summer 591 CE, the occurrence of both Year 1 and Year 2 drachms has prompted inquiry into Sasanian calendar administration. The turnover from Year 1 to Year 2 likely reflects either the passing of the civil New Year (Nowruz) during his tenure or an official administrative regnal year rollover.
  5. Specimen Attribution Limitations: Specific mint, date, flan diameter, die axis, and weight designations apply strictly to individual analyzed specimens and cannot be transferred without direct examination.

References

  1. Bahrām VI Čōbīn. A. Sh. Shahbazi, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 5 (1988), pp. 514–522
  2. British Museum Collection Online: Museum number 1928,0606.2. AR Drachm of Bahram VI, MY mint, Year 1, 4.10 g, 31 mm
  3. British Museum Collection Online: Museum number O1895,1006.11. AV Dinar of Bahram VI, AYLAN mint, Year 1, 4.430 g, 21 mm
  4. CNG Triton XIV, Lot 527. Closing Jan 3, 2011; Bahram VI AR Drachm, WYHC mint, RY 1, 4.13 g, 32 mm
  5. Sasanian Numismatics. Robert Göbl (1971), p. 53, pl. 12, nos. 203–204, Tables XV–XVI
  6. CNG Triton VII, Lot 658. Sale Jan 12, 2004; Bahram VI AR Drachm, GD mint, RY 1, 4.00 g
  7. Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum Project. SNS Schaaf (Schindel 2014), nos. 613–618 (drachms) and 612 (dinar)
  8. Leu Numismatik AG Web Auction 9, Lot 644. Sale Sept 7, 2019; Bahram VI AR Drachm, GD mint, RY 1, 4.00 g, 31 mm