Hepthalite imitation of Sassanian coin of Hormazd IV from the 7th century. What makes these coins stand out as hepthalite are their countermarks. The face of a king on the obverse and the wording "opopo" which is a crude form of Alchoon on the reverse. They have done the fire altar much prettier than the sassanian coin I have. the kings face is pointing downwards here. tilt your phone 90degrees to the right to get an idea.
I have never seen the reading opopo but read it as beginning with a Greek phi ΦOPO which I would take as either coin or metal 'brought in' or 'in tribute'. I am no expert but wonder how many of the ID's on this coin are just copied from a previous guess rather than being based on further study. What is Alchoon? See: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-xionite-huns-crazy-countermarked-drachm.255280/
Tokharistan, uncertain ruler imitating Hormizd IV, after 590 AD, fixed year 11, 32 mm, 3.78 grams Obverse: Crowned bust right, within circle, stars and crescents around. Reverse: Fire altar, attendants flanking, within circle. Countermarks of human head left and "PHRORO" in Baktrian. Imitation struck by the Western Turks after conquering Balkh about AD 590. Imitates a Balkh mint year 11 Drachm of Sassanian King Hormizd IV. The minting continued to the middle of the 7th cent. Nearly all of these carry two countermarks, a portrait cm and a Bactrian legend, "Phroro", attributed to Phromo Kesaro. The cm's were applied in the period 650-700 AD. Variously attributed to the Hephthalites / Nezak Huns. See D. Schnädelbach, ONS Newsletter 169 (Spring 2001). cf. Afganistan / Pakistan Area » Nezak and Western Turk Dynasties » Turk yabghus in Tokharestan, ca 600-680 » Hormazd IV-imitations, Balkh » with φορο and portrait cm:s The countermarks are cm132 (Portrait left, "ankus"? on his head) and cm59a (Bactrian legend "фopo")
@Doug, you said this before, I think it's very plausible, much more than the Phromo Kesaro theory or others. My Ancient Greek dictionary says 'phoros' = tax. 'Phoro-' is the radix of the word. Do you know if that word was used before on other coins or in comparable situations?
No, all I know is the Greek word means brought in but whether that mean a tax or refers to metal source like the British silver marked Lima, I have no way of telling. The part that bothers me is the reading of the four letters "PHRORO" inserting an extra R to support the attribution to Phromo Kesaro. I am not a serious student and do not have the background to understand the depths of the matter. I am waiting on an explanation that is based on the letters present or an explanation show this is not just a guess with evidence manipulated to support it. Meanwhile, I see the root word tax rather than a name. Specifics beyond that, I lack any clue.
The most recent book I have about these coins is that of Klaus Vondrovec, Coinage of the Iranian Huns and their Successors from Bactria to Gandhara (4th to 8th century CE), Vienna 2014. The c/m is in Vol. 1, types 5 and 6, p. 397-445, coins associated with the Hephthalites. It defines the countermark as 'phoro' (in Greek), but it doesn't explain what it means. But not 'phroro' or anything else.
It does look like a theta now that you point it out, but a rather odd font, like o : o wont be surprised at the unique way of writing it though.