Ancient - On the Silk Road the Cash Is Green- Turgesh Khagan

During the early middle ages the Arab advance into central seemed unstoppable and nearly complete, the products of the silk road lined the city streets and the pockets of merchants.
The Sogd traders are among the most famous and celebrated trade cultures of the ancient world. Ancient Chinese and Indian texts make reference to large portions of the traders delivering wears on to Tang China were Sogd merchants. These people eventually became the word for merchant in the region.
The Sodg clans resisted the Arab invasion and sought the comfort and support of the Chinese economic system. Casting coins in bronze with the Chief Tamgha and in Sogdiane script. (A type of Aramaic language.)

What I don't understand is why the refernces say that the reverse tamgha is a Runic(?) letter "P". I thought Runic was being used in Europe and a "p" looks like modern "K."We need someone to go medieval on the subject and throw cash at it.

Russian Turkestan
Semirech'e, Sogd
Turgesh Kaganate
AE Fen 25 mm x 5.26 gram
Cast AD 750-800
Obverse: Sogdian legend "Fen of King of Turgesh Kagan" around square hole
Reverse: Tamgha of Turgesh in the shape of a runic letter "P" in the left field.
Ref: Kamyshev's #24 in "Early Medieval Monetary Complex of Semirechie"
Note: Extremely Rare. Thick beautiful green patina.

 

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very cool coin AN. i've been looking at these recently, and i haven't found one in my price range yet...they may look like chinese cash coins, but they're in a whole other price range aren't they?

pretty color also.

 

Ah I will PM you I found a guy who sells them, auctions start low and no one apparently wants it besides me. I paid like $25 or something.

 

Hook me up too!

 

Noob => Interesting coin and great thread (thanks for the effort)

 

Very nice inscriptions on this.
Thanks for showing !

 

Couple of points. The reason the cash coins were used were because the Tang had taken over Xianjiang and were the dominant military force in the region. Also, the Arabs had other areas more important to conquer, and we're not really trying in Central Asia yet. Only after the Tang weakened did the arabs attack. The very last central Asian cash coin had Arabic letters on it.

Regarding this coin being very rare, well maybe compared to Roman coins. I own maybe 20 examples of this type. It's one of the most common types for Sogdian cash. There is actually a new book on them, unfortunately in Russian with just a small English summary.

It really is too bad we do not live closer AN, we would have a blast. Btw, I have 5 ebay sellers that I follow, two in NY, two in London, and on in Israel. $25 is a good price for this conditon one though.

 

I have seen enough examples to challenge the very rare, term, but I noticed that these heavier examples, over 4.5 are far rarer then the usuals of the sub 3 gram class.
I have another Peroz Imitation you might want to take a look at it. You might like it.

 

From the same seller as these? I have bought I think six of his so far. Very interesting countermarked on them. I love the head countermark.

 

You have to start sharing more of these man. I am dying out here with the obscure Asian stuff. man, I am glad I have THC and Bill for back up.

 

turkic writing is often referred to as runic

 

a useful reference on these coins: Coins of Semirechie (narod.ru)