Early Medieval Eastern India (Bengal Region), Pala Period (c. 8th–9th Century CE), Indo-Sasanian Style, Denomination: AR Drachm, Composition: Silver, Weight: 3.88 grams, Diameter: 16.14 mm, References: Indo-Sasanian series; cf. Mitchiner, Classical & Oriental Coinage, about very fine, very scarce.

Obverse: Highly stylized Sasanian-derived fire altar motif, flanked by abstract attendants rendered as dots and pellet forms; crude linear elements replacing original Pahlavi legends, typical of late Indo-Sasanian evolution.

Reverse: Abstract geometric and curvilinear devices derived from earlier Sasanian bust and crown elements, now fully degenerated into symbolic forms; pellet clusters and flowing lines filling the field.

This silver drachm belongs to the Indo-Sasanian monetary tradition, a long-lasting coinage style in the Indian subcontinent inspired by original Sasanian silver issues. Although the Sasanian Empire never ruled Bengal, their silver standard and coin iconography remained influential for centuries due to trade prestige and monetary familiarity. By the early medieval period, especially during the Pala era in Bengal, these designs had become heavily abstracted, losing their original Persian inscriptions and figural clarity. Such coins were not official royal issues of the Pala kings, but rather anonymous regional issues that circulated within Pala-controlled territories. Their continued use reflects economic continuity rather than political control, making them an important witness to cultural and monetary transmission across regions.

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