Just another random Sogdian piece, this one from South Sogdia, Kesh. I have another example with a clearer obverse, but most I have ever seen have blank reverses. I haven't seen one for sale before with the reverse struck up. As you can see, the reverse is pretty low relief, so I assume most either through weak strikes or wear are no longer showing. This one was fate. I hadn't seen it on Ebay and was browsing though some old sellers by chance today. This one popped up with 45 seconds to go! Talk about a close one. If anyone remembers the older thread I had with the Alexander type derivative, this is from the same mint. The Alexander piece was probably 300-200 BC, while this one more like 200-300AD. Very rare of course, as are most Sogdian pieces, but this one more than most.
Here is a better pic, (I wish I owned this coin): http://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3390 This helps to show what it is supposed to look like. Like I said, I have never seen an example for sale with ANY reverse, so I am happy with the one I just snagged. Btw, wrong on the date, more like 5-6th century I guess.
Neat pick-up, medoraman ... I must admit that your link to the other coin did help me determine what I was gazing at (very cool)
very cool med, i thought i was seeing some type of battle scene on the reverse. i don't remember ever seeing that reverse before.
As an update, I bought another one of these: It occurred to me where I have seen this scene before: This is a Phoenician silver coin from Sidon. So we have a Phoenician coin struck around 360BC being copied in the heart of Central Asia about 500 AD. Wow, I bet there is a really weird story there. How did the originals get there? But, if you rotate the obverse even the waviness of the Kesh portrait hair is imitative of the waves on the Phoenician coin. Yeah, this is a head scratcher. Next I bought this as well: This is seller's pic showing how the coin at top has traces of the Kesh undertype. There are other traces if you look on both sides. It shows a coin supposedly a of Asbar from Bukhara but overstruck on one of these Kesh coins. The reverse is a good imitation of the Bukharan coin, but the obverse looks off. So, what is this going on? A local imitation of a Kukharan coin overstruck on a much rarer coin from Kesh? Why would they wish to imitate Bukharan coins at the expense of Kesh coins? Did Bukhara conquer Kesh in this period? So, a couple of unanswered questions, but fun nonetheless.
I wonder if this is another instance of examples of ancient coins being found in late antiquity and being reused/ copied by other people. Its hard to believe the same motif was reused independently without being exposed to the Phoenician coin. Anyway you swing it the coin is awesome and represents another numismatic curiosity good find on this one, and great connection. I think this should be explored further.
