a 
1923.1 Numismatic Supplement No. XX XVII. N. 5 
Thomas (Num. Chron., XU, N.S., Plate II, Fig. 9); 
weight, 9°5 grs.; 
Mordtmann (Z.D.M.G., 1854, p. 34, No. 11); weight, 
8°89 ors. ; 
Mordtmann (Z.D.M.G., 1880, p. 9, No. 12); weight, 
10 grs. ; 
Mordtmann (Z.D.M.G., 1880, p. 12, No. 35); weight, 
9°26 grs, 
Description of the Obol. 
Metal.—Silver. Size.—-6 in. Weight.—11 grs. : 
Obverse.—VThe bust of Ardashir I to left with crown, 
having ear-flap, and surmounted by a globe: the fillets of 
the diadem floating behind: a moustache and plaited hair 
and beard: the hair of the head is divided into two parts, 
one falling over the right shoulder and the other behind 
the back. Grénetis. 
Legend.—Commencing behind the globe, Mazda(ya)sn bagi 
Artakhshatr malkan malka Ai(ran min)o-chitrt min (yazdan), 
“ Mazda-worshipping divinity Ardashir, king of the kings of 
Eran, of spiritual origin from the sacred beings.” 
everse.—The holy pyreum on an altar with handles 
and fillets: a censer on each side. Grénetis. 
egend.—Commencing from the left of the fire, Nara 2 
Artakhshatr, ‘The fire of Ardashir.”” 
here is a small hole in the coin in front of the bust. 
Plate I, 2. 
According to Marquart (Z.D.M.G., 1895, p. 670) the 
legend on the obverse should be read : Mazdézn bage 
Artakhshathr (-i) shahain-shah (-i) Bran ké chithré az yazatan. 
He believes that mind is not the Zand (Avesta) manush 
“ heaven” ; but the Aramaic relative pronoun mannii *' who, 
Which the Persians read ké in the same way as az for min and 
shahainshth for malkan malka. So the translation of the 
legend would be ‘ Mazda-worshipping divinity Ardashir, 
king of the kings of Eran, who is (ke) by origin from the 
sacred beings.”” But on em ibed by Mordtmann 
(2.D.M.G., Vol. XXXI, 1877, p. 594, No. 30) the variant 
yazdi-chitrt is found instead of mind-chitri, which emphasizes 
the fact that yazdi and mind having the same meaning o 
ce So ? 
I at Naqsb-i Rustam (see Flandin et Coste, Voyage en Perse, 
Ol. Uf, Plate 181) and of Shapur I at Nagqsh-i Rajab (see 
Flandin et Coste, op. cit., Plate 190) the equivalents ous 
in Greek and mind shihar in Chaldeo-Pahlavi preclude our 
ta ing any other meaning of mind-chitri than “of spiritual 
gin.” 
orl 
