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Tyrants of the Tigris & euphrates
211
Sasanian Empire
Gold Light Dinar (4.56g, 22.5 mm), AD 590-628
Khosrau II (Aparviz), Sasanian King, AD 590-628
Sunrise # 986, Malek 6-7, Gobl Type III/4, Saeedi AV 94. Mint State.
Mint: Unknown. Year: 21.
Khosrau II (Khosrau Parviz), also written as Khosrow, Chosroe and Xusro, is the last Great King of the
Sasanian dynasty. He came to throne after defeating Bahram VI and Vistahm who had rebelled against
his father Hormizd IV. He married the Byzantine emperor Maurice’s daughter Mary (Miryam) who was
a Christian. Emperor Maurice was killed by Phocas who proclaimed himself the new emperor in AD
602. At that time, Khosrau was in the 12th year of his reign and given his relationship with Maurice,
relations between the Persians and the Byzantines had been peaceful. The murder of Maurice opened
old wounds and sparked a war that expanded quickly and became known as the “last war of antiquity”.
This epic struggle changed the social fabric of Near East forever. Khosrau, claiming to avenge Maurice’s
murder, invaded Byzantine territory and major cities of the Near East began to fall. Antioch, Damascus,
Tyre, Jerusalem and finally Alexandria were captured. When Jerusalem was captured, the remains of
the “True Cross”, one of the holiest relics of Christianity, were carried to Ctesiphon, the capital of the
Sasanian Empire. This story has been immortalized in the paintings of Renaissance master Piero della
Fransca in the Cathedral of San Francesca in Italy. The war continued for nearly two decades and drained
the resources of both empires. After a successful counter-offensive by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius
that reversed all the Sasanian gains, the Persian nobility removed, arrested and executed Khosrau II. This
rare gold coin was minted in the 9th year of the struggle against the Byzantines, which was the most
aggressive period of the Sasanian conquest. The obverse depicts Khosrau II and the reverse features the
goddess Anahit. The text on these coins typically refers to Khosrau II as “King of Kings who freed the
world from fear”. Stories of Khosrau II his love for Shirin, his Armenian wife, were immortalized by two
great poets, Ferdowsi and Nezami. He was a great patron of music and the most important musicians of
the time performed at his court.
212
Sasanian Empire
Gold Light Dinar (4.21g, 24.5 mm), AD 590-628
Khosrau II (Aparviz), Sasanian King, AD 590-628
Sunrise # 989, Gobl Type VI/7, Paruck 460. Choice Very Fine.
Mint: Unknown. Year: 33 (regnal Year).
This extremely rare gold dinar was minted in the 33rd year of Khosrau’s reign, when most of the Near
East had fallen to Sasanian forces, who had also laid siege to Constantinople both from the land and the
sea. Once again, the king faces forward on the obverse, and on the reverse, again facing forward, full
height. leaning on his sword.