1918.] Numismatic Supplement No, XXX. 263 
having no attendant personages and filling almost the whole 
flan. The last type, of which coins are known in gold, silver 
and copper, is considered to be very rare; to it bone the gold 
piece described in the Numismatic Supplement No. XXVIII, 
article no. 174 and the drachme, which is the subject of this 
article. 
The main legend on the reverse of the coins of Shapur IT 
is Nara 2 Shahpuhri “ The fire of Shapur.’’ Though there are 
some specimens known of the early kings on the reverse of 
which the Aramaic word néra is replaced by its equivalent 
\ in of Sha II on 
which the word @tar is so found. From Shapar III (383-388) 
the word nira is ee replaced by its equivalent atur on the 
reverse of the 
The neatane described below has on the reverse the legend 
Aturi Shahpuhri. Unfortunately the word atari is damaged, 
but the first two letters are very distinct and the rest are trace- 
able without difficulty. On be snore of this reading I have 
been able to read on the reverse of a similar drachme of this 
king in the Bartholomaei clletion (ol. ‘VIL. fig. 7) the legend 
Atirt z Shahpuhri. This drachme was described by Mordt- 
mann (Z.D.M.G., 1880, p. 65, no. 265), but he was unable to 
read the legend on the reverse beyond the name of the king. 
He geanenet the legend on the obverse to be i legible, a 
of the Tete 7, the Persian izafat, in one case, while in 
the other we have the Semitic particle 22, which is often em- 
piged in Sasanian Pahlavi i in one same sense. The relative 2 
s here seen approximating in use to the Persian iza@fat, of 
mas possibly it was ae eu: “But the letter 7 preceding 
the word 27 is redundant, being the vowel so frequently found 
at the end of Pahlavi words as may be noticed at the end of 
the name of the king Shahpuhri. 
In connection with this legend I take the wi gehen to 
i it 
293) in this cabinet, the words Varahran-Atruni and (op. cit., 
4 48, no. ey on the reverse of a drachme of Hormazd II (303- 
