Do you ever buy a coin far out of your collecting area(s)? I just got this one from "Tokharistan" which is not your most well-known place. 30-28 mm. 4.02 grams. Clearly based on a Sasanian prototype (Khusru II). The seller attributed it to Tokharistan, Yabghus of Bactria, c. 6th-7th century. "Vondrovic Type 265". Klaus Vondrovic, Coinage of the Iranian Huns and their Successors from Bactria to Gandhara (4th to 8th century CE). That's a book I don't have. Do any of you? Is is worth its hefty price tag? I didn't find it in Mitchner (ACW) even though he has some coins of Afghanistan from that time period. Show us either 1) coins of one of the stans from that era, or 2) a coin obtained recently that is far out of your normal collecting area.
Yes, I have. AR drachm of the Bactrian Yabghu. Zabulistan, about 700. Turk Shahis of Kabul and Gandhara. Obv.: Bust in profile view r., wearing a crown with two crescents attached to the diadem, a pair of wings and a buffalo's head on top. Outside the margin at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock a crescent with tamga (S61). Rev.: Fire altar with two attendants. With in Pahlavi: unreadable date (mid-6th - early 7th century). 32 mm, 4.31 gr. Vondrovec type 265, p. 527-529 and 630; Göbl Doc. Em 265; Zeno 201048. And I have the books by Vondrovec - it builds on the Göbl-Hunnen series, four scientific books in German dating from about 1970, that classifiy the very various Hunnic coins of the 350 - 800 AD period. If you want to know all about these strange coins, all that's known to science now (or rather, five years ago), you might buy one or two coins less and buy these books for $180. It's a sylloge, an account of a large collection, not an exhaustive catalog like Mitchiner's. But most of the types are there. The pics are bit dark, that's the only problem. Very interesting in Vondrovec's books is the large series of copper coins that were mostly unknown to Göbl in his day. Many of these interesting types have come to light in the last two decades. Here's one I have, a small coin (somehow I didn't measure it): AE unit, Kidarites (350-385AD). Obv. Bust in ¾ view right, with a mustache. Crown with vegetal elements and a central globe. On each shoulder a hairball, ribbons on both sides. Rev. Brahmi ‘Kuja//na’. 14.5 mm, 0.83 gr. Vondrovec GC-K 20, see Vol. I p. 42, Type 1.1.3.2.
@Pellinore , that was a very helpful post. It reminded me to look at Zeno.ru where I found similar pieces: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=223123 https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=221068 Thank you for citing Zeno!
I enjoy collecting out of my focus, @Valentinian . Your Tokharistan Drachm is very cool. However, I seem to have several, just to have them. Here is one: LEAD Ancient SRI LANKA Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura Anonymous, 1st C. BCE PB 1/8 Lakshmi 1.1g, 14.1mm x 7.8mm RARE OBV: Hindu Goddess Lakshmi facing. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. She was a beauty and the wife of Vishnu REV: blank
Nice coin with lovely detail!....Trying to be year 13?? I went out of my comfort zone with this coin....It was completely misattributed ..I liked it so went for it.... Vardanes I (40-47 AD) AE Chalkous 11mm/1.8gr.. Obverse- Bust left with short beard, wearing diadem and spiral torque; hair in three distinct waves with earring visible; diadem pendants shown as three lines; circular border of pellets. Reverse- Monogram ΜΤΘ; legend as dashes Mint- Mithradatkart-Near modern Askabad in Turkmenistan. Ref- Sellwood 64 type variant (ΜΤΘ monogram) This is quite a rare type
Very nice pickup. I have this one from Tabaristan, but it’s from a century or so later than the OP coin. Way outside my usual collecting area, but I saw it for a good price at a Savoca Blue auction and went for it. Tabaristan, Abbasid Governors, Sa'Id Ibn Da'La, 776-778 AD, AR hemidrachm, (22mm., 1.8g), Crowned Sasanian style bust right / Fire altar flanked by attendants; crescent and star flanking flames.
The coin of this series that attracted me most is the hemidrachm of Suleiman 787-789 AD which replaced the portrait with a lozenge to avoid violating Islamic bans on depicting a human face. This did not seem to be an issue for the other rulers.
Nice one! I've dabbled in central Asia quite a bit - it's a fascinating region that produced some very alien-looking coins compared to the classical world. Still haven't gotten a Yabghu drachm yet, but I do have some earlier Peroz-imitations from about the same region. Early iterations made by the Hepthalites Early type - good copy, but has four pellets in obverse margin Later type, no tamghas yet Late type with tamgha added to obverse margin at 3:00 Later type with tamgha at 7:00, Bactrian countermark Then of course the fun "North Tokharistan" or "Kobadien" billon drachms, which are always countermarked with portraits and mythical beasts
The Arab name in front of the face defines this not as "Sa´id" but as "Umar Ibn al 'Ala". To add some more: Tokharistan: Zabulistan:
