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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AnYangMan, post: 5215516, member: 87271&quot;]My most recent arrival is part of why I love Cointalk and chatting with fellow collectors in general so much! Sometimes you see someone post a coin here that you just absolutely, head over heels, fall in love with. I know I have! Just over a year ago, I saw [USER=98035]@Finn235[/USER] post a coin that for some reason really resonated with me; I shot him a message along the lines of ‘if you ever lose your mind and decide to get rid of that coin, I would be honoured to be first in line’. Turns out he was wanting to further expand into some rarer Roman emperors and, for the right price, he would be willing to let it go! We brokered a deal, which had to be postponed a couple of times due to various factors. But today, it finally arrived!</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50703058438_db9d32250e_k.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Kingdom of Khwarezm, Sawashfan. AR reduced Tetradrachm (on Dirham standard). Circa mid-eight century AD. <a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50703058438_31ebbbc977_o.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50703058438_31ebbbc977_o.jpg" rel="nofollow">Full res.</a></i></p><p><br /></p><p>The kingdom of Khwarezm is somewhat obscure; while the role of the later Khwarezmshas in Islamic history is relatively well-known, the period before the Islamic takeover in 995 remains shrouded in mystery. The kingdom was located in the then fertile Khwarezm-oasis, just south of the Aral sea (modern Uzbekistan). The kings of Khwarezm ruled over this fertile stretch of land from their capital Kath, the surrounding endless and isolating seas of sand allowing the distinctive Khwarezmian culture to arise and flourish out of its Iranian ancestor. <i>Huvarazmish </i>was already mentioned as a part of the Achaemenid empire, but throughout history the area generally enjoyed a large degree of independence. Since 305 AD, it had been under the control of the native Afrighid dynasty, with several periods of paying tribute to the Sassanians. Initially they practised Zoroastrianism, but after several Muslim invasions in the eight and ninth century, Islam became increasingly prevalent. The successors of Sawashfan even converting and carrying Muslim names, untill they were conquered in 995 AD.</p><p><br /></p><p>A king list of the 22 kings between 305 AD and 995 AD has survived, although only a handful of the later ones on this list have been positively matched with a name found on their coinage. Besides his coinage and this king list, Sawashfan is also known from a different source: in the Tang dynasty annals we see that in 751 AD, a certain <i>Shaoshefien</i> from <i>Huoxun </i>(Kwarezm) asked the Chinese court for aid. Presumably to aid in fighting the advancing Muslims?</p><p><br /></p><p>On the obverse we see the bust of king Sawashfan in traditional Khwarezmian garb, complete with a fantastic moustache and soul-patch. I can’t even begin to explain why I enjoy this coin this much, but the fabulous headdress certainly plays a part <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. Behind the head we have a sort of control-symbol; in this case three annulets, but various other symbols, including something that could be interpreted as a Christian cross, are known. The obverse legend consists of his name in Sogdian, which in itself is incredibly fascinating. Sawashfan, ruling in the mid-eight century, is actually the first Khwarezmian king to put Sogdian script on his coins. Interpreting this in the context of the advancing Islam and the Khwarezmian kings increasingly turning their attention to other entities to ensure their survival, from the Chinese emperors to Sogdian merchants, this becomes a quite meaningful aspect of his coinage!</p><p><br /></p><p>On the reverse we have Sawashfan on his trusty steed, brandishing the same headdress and a whip. The inscription around the king is in the local Khwarezmian script, a script related to Sogdian but with strong ties to Aramaic and Pahlavi. The tamgha to the left of the horseman is also just visible, although slightly obscured by what I would describe as a charming double-strike. Sure, the horse looks as if it has a serious neck injury, but in all honesty I think it adds to the charm of the coin!</p><p><br /></p><p>All in all, a really neat coin. I really want to thank [USER=98035]@Finn235[/USER] from the bottom of my heart for wanting to let it go. It will be cherished for a long while to come and seeing it in hand confirmed just how much I adored the piece. Many thanks!</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post any coins you (indirectly) bought from a fellow CT-member! Or alternatively, more coins from Khwarezm (I know [USER=74834]@Pellinore[/USER] has a nice example of this same type)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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