Ancient Silk Road Silver Drachm of Khusrú II NGC XF

The True Cross Silver Drachm

Khusrú II was the 22nd Sasanian King of Persia, and during his long reign from 590 to 628 AD., he waged war, captured territory and expanded the empire to its greatest expansion. No wonder he was hailed as Khusrú the Victorious! You’d think a monarch with this kind of résumé would be able to pick and choose his consort without a whole lot of effort. But that’s not the way Khusrú rolled.

The Man Who Stole, The True Cross of Christ

The fact of the matter is that Khusrú desperately loved his Christian wife Shīrīn — so much so that poets celebrated their romance for more than 500 years after his death! It should come as no surprise then, that when Jerusalem fell to the Sasanians in 614, one of the prize pieces of booty confiscated was the True Cross of Jesus. Ever the lovesick husband, Khusrú had it boxed up and brought back to Persia as a gift to his wife!

The Famous Silk Road

Marching to and from Persia to Jerusalem and even to the borders of the Byzantine Empire, Khusrú and his troops made use of the famous Silk Road. Most historians agree the Silk Road was first “open for business” between China and the west in about 130 B.C., and was named for the fabulous silks China was exporting to new trading partners in the West. The routes would remain in use for hundreds of years, its fame firmly established by the tales told by Italian merchant and adventurer Marco Polo.

Ancient Silk Road Silver Drachms of Khusrú II

This Silver Drachm issued during Khusrú’s reign is the same type of coin that Sasanian soldiers, merchants and travelers carried with them as they traveled along the Silk Road. Who knows, could this coin have jingled in the pockets of a footsore soldier or even in the money purse Khusrú himself? A beautiful coin, it features Khusrú on one side and a fire alter flanked by attendants on the other. It’s also graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in Extremely Fine (XF) condition — a remarkable grade for coin of this age and pedigree. Secure this amazing 1,400-year-old coin now!