Another purchase from a while ago. I know it doesn't look terribly impressive: but its a terrifically important coin in Sogdian history. This most likely is the first coin ever struck in Sogdia. Its an imitation of an Alexander drachm. Maybe it was a lack of silver, or normally used coins, but in Sogdia they only ever copied the small Greek coins, drachms and obols, never the large tets. Anyway, this was the precursor of the larger issues of copies of Seleucid obols that came later, and then indigenous coins all following the same denomination patterns. I imagine it is difficult to know this was a Sogdian imitation versus just a worn Alexandrian piece. Without knowing where it came from, most collectors would simply assume this is a low grade drachm, (though underweight at 2.67 grams). Its attributed to South Sogdia in most literature, but in the latest issue of ONS they state South Sogdia had two mints, (Nasaf and Kesh), and identify the chronology of all coins issued from Nasaf, so that only leaves this coin to be attributed to Kesh if the South Sogdian attribution is correct. This is the first time I have ever seen this coin for sale. Being most likely the first Sogdian coin ever, it found its way to my grateful little paws.
Nice, I would have assumed it would have been imitation as well and just ignored it. At least it's in a good home.
OK, now I am intrigued. I have a few questions. 1) How does the weight prove it is from Kesh? Even if this coin is under weight, that still might be attributed to the condition of the coin. Looking at this you can tell it is significantly worn down, the original weight could have very well been 3.8grams +. Agree? Technically wouldn't that be in spec for any Alexander drachm, let alone any Danubian imitation of such? 2) Can any information be taken from the device (Apollo Tripod) in the reverse left field?I have seen later Antiochus obols / drachms with the archer on the reverse but those are generally attributed to the 1-2 cent BC and far cruder. Could this coin be a very worn drachm of the early Seleucid kings, Seluekos ? 3) Are you sure this is not an Alexandrine drachm that got dragged all over Asia for like 1000 years? School me...
Good questions, and I am not in a great position to school you sir. All I can go on is the attributions in both Russian and Michiner references. Here is a pic of a slightly higher grade example: http://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=7526 After this issue, it seems they imitated Antiochus in Sogdia, while South Sogdia made the Alexander/Heracles imitations, one of which I posted before. http://www.charm.ru/coins/misc/sogd-silver-unknown.shtml That is about as much as I know of the subject. Not a ton of great articles to go on further.
Want to hear the weirdest part? Due to the rarity of this coin, I bid a maximum of $150, (lower than I would if it were a higher grade example). I won it for like $32. I lost out on some MUCH more common coins that happened to be high grade examples. Maybe I am weird, but I guess I prefer real rarity and historical importance over high grade. While I wished this coin were higher grade, I am not going to not buy it being the only one I have seen for sale in over a decade of looking. Btw, this will teach me from going from memory. The weight I listed in the first post was wrong. I looked it up again due to your post AN, and it is only 2.67 grams, not the 3.2 I listed earlier. This should show that the underweight is not due to wear but due to being an imitative issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahrisabz For those interested, here is a little blurb about the city. It is now called Shahrisabz, and is the birthplace of Timur, also known as Tamerlane.
