A.D. 780-793 Tabaristan, Silver Hemidrachm

This ancient Persian region, located on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, was the last holdout against Arab conquest. After the Roman Empire had fallen into the Dark Ages, regions like Tabaristan, located along the major trade route, the Silk Road, grew and thrived. The stylized bust of a king is on the obverse, and a fire altar on the reverse.