Ancient-Tabaristan 1/2 Drachm

I was excited to find these nice coins for sale by our very own LostDutchman. He had a stack of these for sale at what I consider a great price. So I had to pick one up and immediately sent emails to fellow coin friends that are in need of these coins for their collections.

They are being described as Arab-Sassanian 1/2 Drachms.
Expanding a little on the attribution...

Tabaristan
Abbasid Governor Hani
The coin is dated PYE 137 (Post Yazdgard Era) or 789 AD
AR Tabari Dirham (1/2 Sassanid Drachm)
25 mm x 1.93 g
Obverse: Sassanid Style Bust right.
Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire Altar with 2 attendants.

Tabaristan was the last part of Persia to fall to the Arabs.

As for this coin, It is pretty high grade with fresh minty surfaces although mine has some flatness passing right through the bust, but the price was very reasonable, and I am very happy. I will see if I can find the Lost Dutchman in the not too distant future.

 

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I dont see these too often either, nice catch!

 

Nice, especially since it's keeping it...

 

HERE'S MINE!





...attributed as AN's, 26 mm and 2.o g


anyone else going to match?

 

Nice one Chris I think yours is better than mine. You have the whole face and the whole legend nice full weight!! Absolutely a wonderful coin.

 

You know I don't collect these, but congratulations on obtaining one.

 

I have one of these Sassanid thingies (I think it's a Peroz I)

 

a bit different but in the

 

Btw Anoob, Tabaristan never "fell" to the Arabs. They were a powerful parthian family who chose to support the arabs over the Sassanids. Khusro II really destroyed his parthian nobility support and that was the real cause of the arab conquest. As a favor, the arabs allowed this family to continue to strike their own coins in tabaristan for quite some time.

If you like this period like I do, the decline and fall of the sassanian empire is a brilliant, must read book. It really clarified the entire situation for me.

Btw, I agree Matt might of done better offering these to us and save ebay fees. I have twenty or so, but if they had been offered here a touch cheaper I probably still would have bought a few more. These come and go. Some hoards were found a decade ago, and they were everywhere then. These looked like nice ones though.

 

Agreed, finished that book a few weeks ago.

 

To add another one to the family tree: Omar Ibn Al'Ala 772 AD.

 

Just got this today. Thought he would make a nice addition to the Tabaristan line-up.

Sulayman (787-89 AD), One of the most characteristic portraits of the lot.

 

Tabaristan
Arab-Sassanian Imitation of Shah Khusro II
AR Half Drachm
ca. 781 AD

1.93 grams, 23 mm
Obv: Shah Khusro II wearing winged crown
Rev: Fire altar with two attendants
Grade: EF as struck with some peripheral weakness on the large thin planchet & single corrosion spot on reverse. Beginning to re-tone.
Other: Anonymous “Afzut” Type. Khusro II “The Victorious" 590-628 AD was the last great king of the Sasanian Empire, & the son of Hormizd IV. This imitation is dated Post Yazdgard Era 130 (130 PYE+ 651 = 781 A.D.)

 

This is one I feel that I need due to the Islamic allowable portrait. Thanks for posting it.

 

I had the same feeling. Had been looking around for one already for a while to complete this series for me.

 

I got one of these from an old man. edited

 

Offers to buy/sell/trade can only be done in that section.

 

ahahaha => this thread is 3 years old ... and when it was resurrected the dude said

... man, I hope that's what they say when I croak