page_title: Ardashir II
section_title: Coins
hierarchical_section_title: Ardashir II / Coins
caption_attribution_description: English: SASANIAN KINGS. Ardaxšīr (Ardashir) II. AD 379-383. AR Drachm (28mm, 4.10 g, 3h). Mint II (“Eastern”). Bust right, wearing plain crown with korymbos / Fire altar with ribbons; flanked by two attendants, each wearing plain crown with korymbos; fluted altar shaft. Cf. SNS type Ia/1a, A7; Göbl type I/1; Paruck -; Saeedi -. EF, lightly toned. Rare.
context_page_description: Ardashir II, was the eleventh king of the Sasanian Empire, ruling from 379 to 383. He was the brother of his predecessor, Shapur II, under whom he had served as governor-king of Nodardashiragan, where he fought alongside his brother against the Romans. Ardashir II was appointed as his brother's successor to rule interimly till the latter's son Shapur III reached adulthood. Ardashir II's short reign was largely uneventful, with the Sasanians trying to defuse instability in Armenia.
  Ardashir II was seemingly a strong-willed character, and is known in some sources by the epithet of nihoukar.
context_section_description: The coins minted under Ardashir imitates him wearing the same dome-shaped crown worn by the first Sasanian shah, Ardashir I (r. 224–242). The reverse shows the traditional fire altar flanked by two attendants, but in some cases also shows the shah's head appearing from the fire, which may symbolize the royal xwarra ("glory"). The inscription of his coins are usually "Ardashir, king of kings of the Iranians" whilst rare instances of "and of non-Iranians" also being part of the inscription.
caption: Coin of Ardashir II.
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