Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid. Sasanian Empire, silver drachm Hormizd IV (579-590 AD), struck Wasit 589 AD. Obverse: Crowned bust of the king right. Reverse: Fire altar with two facing attendants. -> Hormizd IV’s silver drachms were not only coins but also carefully designed symbols of royal and religious authority. The king appears wearing his distinctive crown, while the reverse shows a sacred Zoroastrian fire altar guarded by two attendants. Mint names and regnal years beside the altar often allow these coins to be linked to a particular place and year of his turbulent reign. Diameter: ± 32 mm Weight: ± 4.08 g EF condition Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher. -> Hormizd IV was Sasanian King of Kings from AD 579 to 590 and the son of Khosrow I. He continued the long war against the Byzantine Empire while confronting Turkic forces in the east. Later sources portray him as a capable but severe ruler whose attempts to restrain the power of the nobility and Zoroastrian priesthood created strong opposition. His reign ended following the rebellion of the general Bahram Chobin; Hormizd was deposed, blinded and killed, and was succeeded by his son Khosrow II. His coinage consists mainly of broad silver drachms. The obverse shows his crowned bust facing right, usually flanked by a star and crescent, while the reverse depicts the traditional Zoroastrian fire altar attended by two standing figures. The mint and regnal year were normally recorded beside the altar, allowing many coins to be dated and attributed to a specific mint.