1917.] Numismatic Supplement Xo. XXVIII. 61 



Siiaboro. Lastly, on the Sassanian engraved gems we find 

 the form Shapouh. 



In the inscription A of Taqi-Bostan deciphered bv S de 

 Sacy in 1809, Shapur II styles himself .-Mazdaiasn vohia Shah- 

 puhn malkan malka Airan ve Aniran, rainochetri men Yazdan 

 bara mazdaiasn vohia Auhrmazdi. . . .napi vohia Narsahi mal- 

 kan malka. ^ Ihe Ormazd-worshipper, excellent Shapur. king 

 of kings of Iran and non-Iran, of divine origin from God, son of 

 the Ormazd-worshipper, excellent Hormazd, grandson of the 

 excellent N arses, king of kings." 



Mordtmann describes under No. 270 (Z.D.M.G., 1880 p 66) 

 a drachme of Shapur II showing on the reverse a word' which 

 he read Yazdikert. Thus he discovers and introduces a king of 

 this name (other than the three already known) who revolted 

 against Shapur and whose reign was very short; but the exis- 

 tence of this Yezdegerd is not mentioned by the historians or 

 any other writer. The reading of Mordtmann is very contest- 

 able in view of the facsimile that is given of the legend 



Description of the Coin. 



Metal— Gold. 

 Weight— 110 grains. 

 Size— -78". 



Obverse—The bust of king to right, wearing a mural crown 

 with three points embattled, surmounted by the traditional 

 globe with the fillets of the diadem floating behind the head 

 Ihe hair is brought back and arranged in a cluster of locks. 

 A moustache and a short curly beard, an earring and a necklace 

 ot pearls with jewels in front. Bust clothed in dress. 



In front of the face instead of a legend, a succession of 

 dots parallel to the grenetis. 



The whole device enclosed in a grenetis. 



Reverse.— The fire-altar similar to those of Ardeshir I with- 

 out the side personages. Fillets are floating from both sides of 

 the upper base of the altar, the column of which is fluted. 



On both sides of the fire parallel to the grenetis, an illegible 

 legend. Grenetis. 



As far as I am aware with few rare exceptions all the gold 

 and silver coins of SJiapur that have been published have some 

 legend on the obverse whether legible, barbaric or indistinct, 

 whereas this coin has no legend whatever on the face. Mordt- 

 mann (Z.D.M.G., 1880, p. 149) gives the number of the gold 

 coins known to him of this king to be 18. Since then the 

 Catalogue of the Indian Museum, Calcutta (vol. I, 1906) 

 published three more. One is in the cabinet of Mr. Maneck 

 R. Settna and this one of mine bring the total number of 

 known gold coins of SJiapur II to 23. 



