The following is the set I am working on. I am wondering if there are types that I should include that aren't listed (please post if you do ) Sassanid: 1. MISSING: Any Early ruler AR Drachm 2. MISSING: Peroz I AR Drachm 3. Late Sassanid is represented by the Counterstamped Khruso II AR drachm Arab-Sassanid: 1. [no picture] Tabaristan Al Rashid 786-809 AD Sassanian style Ar dirhem Bust r/fire altar “Afzut” type Indo-Sassanid: 1. Kushanshah Hormizd (Hormazd) I AE Drachm 270 - 295 AD Baktrian Mint Pahlavi legend - AUHRaMaZDI MaLKA Bearded bust right wearing lion headdress with segmented ball; crescent and two dots behind. Long ribbons flow upward from ball of hair Pahlavi legend - BWRZ'Y NDY YZTY Ahura-Mazda rising from altar, holding wreath and trident. 14.8mm 1.91 g Cribb SI 19, #24 (Bactrian issues); Mitchiner ACW 1280; Gobl Kushan 1071v; Zeymal p.257, T. 30, 31 (rare) This coin is listed on Zeno as #48442 and on Forvm Best of Type. 2. MISSING: Saurashtra and Gujarat AR drachm, c. 800-950 AD 3. [no picture] Gadhaiya Paisa AR Drachm c.1000 AD Sassanian style bust r fire altar Mitchner 424 4. MISSING: Late Indo AR or BI drachm Hephthalite: 1. Shahanshah Khurso II AR Drachm RY 25 (615/616 AD) Ohrmazd-Ardaxšīr (AW) mint Two rings surrounding, Pahlavi Script Right facing, crowned bust of Khurso II Three rings surrounding, Pahlavi Script Fire Altar with two attendants Hephthalite Counterstamp Extra: Contemporary Hephthalite gouge in the reverse margin 2. MISSING: Any metal, Hephthalite Drachm copying Peroz 3. Turco-Hephthalite BI Drachm Sogd script Bust Style of Sasanian king Vahran V (no legend) Zoroastrian fire altar flanked by ribbons and attendents. Bust of Ahura Mazda right in flames 25.4mm 2.67g Would you recommend adding anything to this group showing the Sassanid type over time? Ex: Should I include a curved head Indo-Sassanid coin? Thanks, Windchild
I believe this is an impossible question for a finite answer but one that would accept enough answers that we have to say you can do what you wish. There is no real way to say what minor change is major enough to require another coin to represent the progression. Do you want ten coins or a hundred? (I like curved heads; do you have one?)
15 to 20 coins (needs to be a small enough group to show at a coin show). I did have curved heads as a question to whether I should add one (which will be added to the list). Did I leave anything major out from this group?
I just scored a wadd of Sassanid style coins but computer is out and will require time to download my pics and take pics of my new ones. I applaud this set, as I am attempting the same. I have a few more coins ending around 1300 with coins of the Omkara Monestary. These super late coins have a very wonky bust with a Devanagari "OM" on the reverse. Similar to the famous OM.
Don't for get the White Huns like my avatar - Rare and Expensive... There are rare and expensive Kidarites drachms as well as a multitude of other Gujarart issues rarely offered for sale in the West. I was able to get one of each, (with help).
Since what you seek is an overview, it might be good to look at overviews selected by others. In this case I might suggest looking at the book Early World Coins & Early Weight Standards by Robert Tye. He shows coins he considers important to monetary history not numismatic rarities. http://www.earlyworldcoins.com/bookshop/ewc-and-ews http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/eci...t_standards_by_robert_tye/122540/Default.aspx
Let's see. First, the three purely Sassanid types you mention are not bad, but it does not have to be a a Peroz for a middle period silver, it could be any from 350-500. Shapur II made a lot of coins considering he ruled for 70 years. Many are attractive too. Second, kushanshahs are not indo-sassanid. They were sassanian issues struck in bactria right after the sassanids defeated the kushan there. Indo-sassanid issues were later, when the remnants of the sassanids fled to modern day pakistan after their defeat by the muslims. But, you will need two or three of these indo-sassanid issues as well. Doug has a nice page on them. I would think you would want at a minimum a Napki Malka issue and a Alchon hun coin. These were two very important hunnic types that imitated sassanid coinage. Then you mentioned a helthalite imitation. These are most common as Peroz imitations, though they do exist as a couple of other emperors. Tye is an ok book, but a truly fabulous overview book of this area is "From Persepolis to the Punjab". Seriously, go to you library and borrow a copy, (interlibrary loan if needed), you will be BLOWN A WAY. My copy is a paperback version, and i am destroying it i use it so much. Also, i have a paper on hunnic coins i did as a presentation to the twin cities ancient coin club last year. Pm me if you want a copy electronically. Btw, sorry AN, but i woukdn't call your avatar a white hun. It might be, or it could be turko-hunnic. I own a couple of those and like then a lot, but for a indisputable white hun, (hepthalite), coin, i would use a peroz imitation and a c/m khusro Ii. We are positive they are hepthalite.
I was hoping you would say something about the avatar! They are sold as Turko - Hephthalite. I think that might wrong as well. Nezak? Not sure about that either. I'm going to get me a Peroz/ Kavad I imitation right after I get my Kidara.
I would like a Peroz due to the Hephthalite copies of his issues. I know. It is just easier to put all 'Indo' issues together than to add another category when I posted (on a bloody phone) The Indo-Sassanid issues are now represented with 5 coins. I do want more Hunnic coins, but I am not sure if my budget will allow for more I think that this book sells for too much: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listi...p_0/190-0101100-4921058?ie=UTF8&condition=all There is a copy in a local university, which I am going to try to get access to now.
While it might be true that there are other options to Peroz, I feel he remains the best choice due to his interesting place in history linking his culture with the Huns and Kushans through war, alliance and time as a captive. Being king in those days was a bit more a hands-on experience than we usually think. Also, there are some really pretty coins of Peroz available at reasonable prices.
That is insane. David Brown books used to have a softcover versionfor about $70, but not anymore. Iknowhardcovers can run a couple hundred,but that is WAY out of line. Get the copy from the library.I bet you will sit down and not be able to put it down for days. Its literally a fantastic book for your purposes. I disagree with it a little, but not very much.
If I can get it from the local uni, I will have an online version (only good thing about that is it is permanent)
This is one of those examples where the algorithms that automatically price most books on Amazon ran wild. Notify the sellers and they should be able to adjust it to a reasonable price.
I knew I should have bought a couple of extra copies. I try to do that when I see a book is truly excellent.
I will add many more later but I wanted to share a coin from the hoard I picked up... Rare Hephthalite (Hunnic) Sassanid Style bust drachm known only from a handful of examples... Peroz Imitation c. 550-600 AD 23.5 mm x 4.1g Pre-Saurashtran Series with corrupt Pahlavi letters on reverse fire altar with attendants. Bust with Winged skull cap. ref: Mitchiner 64
