Sale: Triton VII, Lot: 642. Estimate $200.  Closing Date: Monday, 12 January 2004.  Sold For $350. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SASANIAN KINGS of PERSIA. Peroz. 457/9-484 AD. AR Obol (0.50 gm). AS (Aspahan?) mint. "[...], the fortunate, Peroz" in Pahlavi (crude and partially degraded), crowned and cuirassed bust right / Degraded Pahlavi legend to left, mint signature to right, fire altar with attendants and ribbon. Göbl I/1; Paruck -; Alram 877; MACW -; De Morgan -. Toned, nice VF. Very rare first crown denomination. ($200)

Peroz was a son of Yazdgard II; one of two sons who contested for the throne upon their father’s death. Having defeated his brother, Peroz successfully defeated a separatist movement in the Caucasus. This event, which was the high-point of his reign, was followed by the worst famine in Iran’s history to date. About the same time, the Hephthalites were threatening the eastern borderlands again. Peroz led the Sasanian forces into a great defeat in attempting to prevent the invasion. Peroz was captured, and a large ransom was demanded by the Hephthalites. Unable to gather the funds, Peroz was forced to leave his son, Kavad as a hostage (for his coins, see lots 649-651 below). Peroz gathered a stronger army and returned almost ten years later to face the Hephthalites again. As before, he was defeated, but also killed.