The last of the pre-Islamic Iranian (Persian) empires endured from the middle of the Roman Empire until it was destroyed by the Muslims.  Actually it pretty much destroyed itself with a dynastic squabble over the succession and the Muslims came in and smashed up the hollow shell that it had become.  The coins are these great looking broad flan silver coins we call either drachms or dirhams though they used some other word we don't know now.  There are also some rare copper and gold coins from Iran, and more common coins in those metals from the eastern provinces ("Kushanshahr," what we call Afghanistan and Pakistan today, and here is the link to the Kushanshahr page).  Each king had a unique crown, so you can collect them without knowing any Pahlavi, which is rather extraordinarily difficult to read.  Reverse is almost always a Zoroastrian fire altar with 2 attendants.

Shapur I, 240-271 AD, greatly enlarged the empire both eastward and westward.  Gave the Romans something to worry about.  Nailed down Afghanistan about as well as it could be done.
SASANID, Shapur I, 240-271 AD, bronze hexachalkon or tetradrachm, bust R / fire altar, MA-826+, acquired in Pakistan, crude aG $125.00 sold
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His silver coins are not uncommon, but this is the first of the rare big coppers I've seen.
 
 
 
 

Shapur II, 309-79, a great and powerful ruler.  Lucky too.  Captured the Roman emperor Valerian in battle and held him for ransom.  When the money was not forthcoming he had Val killed and stuffed, put him on display in the palace.
SASANID, Shapur II, 309-79, silver drachm, MA-879,  compact flan, bust above altar, RAST on shaft, aXF $47.00 sold
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SASANID, Shapur II, 309-79, silver drachm, Gobl-I/6a series, compact flan, bust above altar, abbreviated legend before / RAST on altar shaft, small edge chip, lightly porous VF+ $25.00 sold
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Shapur III, 383-88, concluded an unfavorable settlement on Armenia with Roman emperor Theodosius, annoyed his backers and was killed by them.
b) SASANID, Shapur III, 383-88, silver drachm, no RAST on altar, crust spots, dark tone, VF $24.00 sold
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c) SASANID, Shapur III, 383-88, silver drachm, eastern Turan issue, MA-922, crude VF $33.00 sold
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Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, no easily available reference has much to say about this guy.  Evidently a weak ruler whose reign saw rise of influence of the Zoroastrian priesthood and local warlords.  Killed in a mutiny (of the palace guards?)
IS9261) SASANID, Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, silver drachm, MA-926, plain flame, no mint name, aVF $35.00 sold
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IS9262) SASANID, Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, silver drachm, plain flame, no mint name, MA-926, found in northwest Pakistan, porous, VG/G $13.00 sold
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IS9263) SASANID, Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, silver drachm, plain flame, no mint name, MA-926, found in northwest Pakistan, crude, dark F $20.00 sold 4/17/2008
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IS9264) SASANID, Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, silver drachm, plain flame, no mint name, MA-926, found in northwest Pakistan, porous F $20.00 sold 4/17/2008
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IS9265) SASANID, Vahran IV, 388-99 AD, silver drachm, plain flame, no mint name, MA-926, found in northwest Pakistan, slightly porous, VF $33.00 sold
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SASANID, Yazdgard I, 399-420, tolerated minority religions and sat on the overweaning state priesthood, therefore dubbed "the Wicked" by the official historians.  Silver drachm, small flan, RD(?) left of flame, that would be Rayy, now Tehran, F $31.00 sold
 
 
 
 

Peroz, 457-483 AD, this guy's big problem was the Hephthalites, also called the Huns.  The Huns during this time took most of Eurasia from the Balkans to the Chinese border, famously threatened Rome.  They did not take the "Near" east, and they did not take Iran proper, just the eastern reaches of the Sasanian empire, which is to say Afghanistan.  Peroz himself was captured in battle and held for ransom.  The millions of silver drachms paid for his release formed the foundation of the Hephthalite economy and inspired a Hephthalite coinage that continued for several centuries.
SASANID, Peroz, 457-483 AD, silver drachm MR (Marv), possibly year 15, VF $27.00 sold 1 /12/2008
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Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachms.  Mint and year designations became normal during this emperor's reign.  Mints are always given with just a couple of letters, and some or most of them have not been assigned to specific towns with any high degree of certainty:
SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, AH (Ecbatana - Hamadan), year 38, F $18.50 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, AS (Isfahan), year 14, some dark horn (crust), F $15.50 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, AU (Hormuz Shahr - Ahvaz?), year 38, crude XF $31.00
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, PR (Piruzkart - Ardebil), year 29, crude VF $25.00
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, RD (Raghae - Rayy - Tehran), year 31, well struck F-VF $22.00 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, ShA, date clear but illegible, nice portrait, aXF $24.00 sold 4/3/2008
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Kavad I, second reign, 499-531 AD, silver drachm, year 38 (536 AD), BiSH, VF $27.00 sold
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SASANID, Hormazd IV, 579-590 AD, silver drachm, NAH (Nihavand) year 8 aVF $21.00 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Hormazd IV, 579-590 AD, silver drachm, NR (Nahr Tira in Kuzistan) year 12 VF $25.00 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SASANID, Hormazd IV, 579-590 AD, silver drachm, ShR? (Shirajan in Khorasan) year 10 VF+ $28.00 sold
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Khusrau II, 591-628, silver dirhams.  The last of the Sasanian movers and shakers.  Marauded all over, took Jerusalem, stole the True Cross and took it home (they lost it later).  Got as far as Alexandria, where he issued coins.

SASANID, Khusrau II, 591-628 AD, silver dirham, RiCh, year 8, VF $26.00 sold
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SASANID, Khusrau II, 591-628 AD, silver drachm, year 29 (619 AD), ShR, VF+ $30.00 sold
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274-11. SASANID, Khusrau II, 591-628 AD, silver drachm, year 33 (623 AD), ShR, F $31.00 sold 12/8/2011
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