Perforated coin

The assemblage of our archaeological data and findings regarding the early Roman-Sasanian interactions is very limited. During the recent survey of the Dehlorān Plain, an accidental coin find (discovered by a passerby, Mr. A. Hosseini) was handed over to the members of the expedition. The highly corroded and perforated coin belongs to the Singara issues of Gordian III (238-244 AD), the young Roman emperor whose reign coincided with the first series of Sasanian incursions led by Ardashir I and his successor, Shapur I. Not only it is one of the few known findings that relate to this tumultuous era, it has been discovered in the vicinity of Roman Mesopotamia, where most of the fighting took place. In this article, in addition to describing the coin, the authors have discussed the historical context of this period and the possible entry scenarios of this coin into the territory of the Sasanian Empire.