This volume contains the Sasanian and Sasanian-type coins in the collections of the Hebrew University (Jerusalem), the Israel Antiquity Authority (Jerusalem), the Israel Museum (Jerusalem) and the Kadman Numismatic Pavilion at the Eretz Israel Museum (Tel Aviv).

The present volume is an addition to the publication series Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum Paris - Berlin - Vienna. It contains the Sasanian coins from the private collection of Robert Schaaf (New Jersey). Altogether 723 coins are catalogued according to the same typological criteria as in the main series SNS Paris - Berlin - Vienna. Outstanding specimens are discussed in connection with material published in the main SNS series.

The new series Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum, Paris-Berlin-Wien, has as its aim the joint publication of the holdings of Sasanid coins preserved in the Cabinet des Medailles in Paris as well as the Munzkabinette in Berlin and Vienna. The three collections hold a total of ca. 11,000 of these coins, which will be published in 6 volumes. This first volume contains the coins of the founder of the dynasty, Ardashir I (224-240) and his son, Shapur I (240-272). It was during this foundation phase of the Sasanid state that the basic structures of Sasanid coinage system were established, structures that were preserved almost unchanged until the end of the dynasty in the 7th century. The catalogue of coins is complemented by an introductory chapter in German (Ardashir I) and French (Shapur I) containing a general survey of sources together with a brief historical survey and commentary on numismatic and monetary history. The aim is to demonstrate the value and informative status of the numismatic source material in the interplay with archaeological and epigraphic evidence and the literary record. An additional summary of the results in English is included. Of special interest is a section devoted to the palaeographic evaluation of Middle Persian coin legends by P. O. SkjAervo (Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University). A further chapter deals with extensive metal analyses which for the first time allow an insight into the composition of alloyages used for the various denominations of the Sasanid currency system.

English summary: This volume presents for the first time within the Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum (SNS) series a complete coin hoard. The latter was found in 2007 in the Piran-Shahr region in North-Western Iran, and ranks among the largest and most important hoards ever found on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Containing altogether 1267 drachms, it provides interesting insights not only into the monetary system of the Late Sasanian period, but also into its economic history, for which only very few sources exist. The publication of this hoard was made possible through the cooperation between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Research Institute of ICHTO (Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization). German description: The present catalogue is a witness of the cooperation established between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Ravenna Campus of the University of Bologna. This study, in fact, finds its origins in the field activities developed by the Italian Mission in the Yaghnob Valley in Tajikistan, which included a significant number of activities, as the systematic recognition of the numismatic heritage preserved in Tajik State collections. The present volume provides a valuable addition to the publication series Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum Paris - Berlin - Vienna. The Tajik numismatic material is extremely important for the monetary history of Central Asia and the adjacent regions. Making these coin findings available for further research is a major step in order to reconstruct the Central Asian numismatic landscape in Sasanian times and beyond. This catalogue presents a total of 708 coins minted between the 5th and the 8th century CE, catalogued according to the same typological criteria as in the main series SNS Paris - Berlin - Vienna. Though the number of Sasanian coins is limited, the Iranian model greatly influenced numismatics in Central Asia considering the impressive quantity of coins imitating Sasanian prototypes and the period of time these imitations kept circulating up to the Islamic period. A particular attention has been dedicated to Bukharkhudat coins and their circulation in the Upper Zeravshan Valley. The picture is enriched by the important hoard of Corgul'tepa, discovered in 1977, which consists of 400 imitation drachms of Peroz. The hoard is now preserved in the State Hermitage Museum and has been fully published.

The present volume is dedicated to Michael L. Bates, Curator Emeritus of Islamic Coins at the American Numismatic Society.

A narrative history of Central Asia after the Greek dynasties and before IslamCentral Asia is commonly imagined as the marginal land on the periphery of Chinese and Middle Eastern civilisations. At best, it is understood as a series of disconnected areas that served as stop-overs along the Silk Road. However, in the mediaeval period, this region rose to prominence and importance as one of the centres of Persian-Islamic culture, from the Seljuks to the Mongols and Timur. Khodadad Rezakhani tells the back story of this rise to prominence, the story of the famed Kushans and mysterious aAsian Huns, and their role in shaping both the Sasanian Empire and the rest of the Middle East.Contextualises Persian history in relation to the history of Central Asia Extends the concept of late antiquity further east than is usually done Surveys the history of Iran and Central Asia between 200 and 800 bc and contextualises the rise of Islam in both regions "e;

The present volume which includes some of the most recent studies on ancient Iranian numismatics has been dedicated to the memory of David Sellwood (1925-2012).

Since the Shah went into exile and the Islamic Republic was established in 1979 in the wake of the Iranian Revolution, the very idea of monarchy in Iran has been contentious. Yet, as Persian Kingship and Architecture argues, the institution of kingship has historically played a pivotal role in articulating the abstract notion of 'Iran' since antiquity. These ideas surrounding kingship and nation have, in turn, served as a unifying cultural force despite shifting political and religious allegiances. Through analyses of palaces, mausolea, art, architectural decoration and urban design the authors show how architecture was appropriated by different rulers as an integral part of their strategies of legitimising power. They refer to a variety of examples, from the monuments of Persepolis under the Achamenids, the Sassanian palaces at Kish, the Safavid public squares of Isfahan, the Qajar palaces at Shiraz and to the modernisation and urban agendas of the Pahlavis. Drawing on archaeology, ancient, medieval, early and modern architectural history, both Islamic and secular, this book is indispensable for all those interested in Iranian studies and visual culture.