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TYRANT COLLECTION
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209
Sasanian Empire
Gold Dinar (4.37g, 19.5 mm), AD 590-591
Vahram (Bahram) VI, also known as Chobin, Sasanian King, AD 590-591
. Extremely Fine.
Mint: AIRAN ( Present day Shush in Southwest Iran). Regnal Year : One. The coin presented here is one
of the rarest of Sasanian gold dinars.
Bahram VI, also known as Bahram Chobin, was the primary military commander of Hormizd IV who
gained great popularity by defeating the Byzantines in the west and Turks in the east. However his
popularity worried Hormizd IV who saw a growing threat in his loyal general. Hormizd waited for an op-
portune moment to humilate and dismiss Bahram from his position. The opportunity came when Bahram
suffered a military defeat at the hands of the Romans. Hormizd IV sent Bahram a gift of women’s attire
and fired him from his command. Bahram then rebelled against his overlord and removed Hormizd IV
from power. However Khosrau II, the son of Hormizd IV, was not about to give up his throne. Khosrau
escaped to the court of the Byzantine emperor Maurice. Maurice gave him a force of several thousand
to reclaim his throne from Bahram. In the final confontation, Bahram was defeated and fled to the east
where Khosrau’s assassins caught and killed him. The obverse of this coin bears a traditional Sasanian
design. The reverse includes and new representation of two stars on either side of the flame and two cres-
cent moosn at the either side of the fire altar. It is important to note that the pronunciation of the name,
“Chobin” has led to various spellings such as “Chubin”, “Shubin” or “Zubin”.
210
Sasanian Empire
Silver Drachm (4.13g, 30.0 mm), AD 590-591
Vahram (Bahram) VI, also known as Chobin, Sasanian King, AD 590-591
Sunrise # 975, Gobl I/1, Mochiri 3, Saeedi 269. Almost Extremely Fine.
Mint: WHYC (considered to be Ctesiphon). Regnal Year: one.
An extremely rare and highly detailed drachm of Bahram Chobin.