A suggestion for re-interpretation of GWDAN Mint Marks on Arab -Sassanian Coins.

The buried remains of the ruins of Sar-Mashhad represent a great city that belonged to the Sassanian-Islamic era. In 1979, Whitcomb succeeded in identifying the ruins of the ancient city ofGhandijan in the south of Kazeroon and the historic route of Shiraz to Tawwaj. Today, it is definitely clear that Ghandijan is the same as Sar-Mashhad, which is 84km. south of Kazeroon. Considering the remains of the ancient site, it seems that this city had thrived during the Sassanid era, at the beginning of the Islamic era, and during the second and third centuries, but was emptied during the seventh and eight centuries. The purpose of this article is to provide another interpretation of the mint mark GWDAN on a number of Arab-Sassanian coins dating back to the reign of Calipha Umar ibnUbayd Allah ibnM’mar.. However, if this mint mark instead signifies GNDAN, then it would correspond to the ancient city of Ghandijan according to linguistic and archaeological evidences, which is located in the Pars province near the city of Tawwaj.