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Message:: [QUOTE="THCoins, post: 8315212, member: 57364"]Interesting to read that the largest part of my coin collection has been declared illegal for import in the US.I wonder if the "US State Department document list of restricted items" in the start post really is the official text ? For it is so infested with spelling errors, terminology mix-ups and plain errors that it seems like it was written by the youngest apprentice based on browsing 30 minutes on Wikipedia ?Limiting myself to some of the areas i have more than some basic knowledge: "d. Gandhara coins include janapadas, bent bar coins based on the silver sigloi weight. Approximate date: 4th century B.C."- So they mean that a Janapada is a type of coin ? For it isn't. A Janapada was an ancient independent or semi-independent region (with its own coinage). Gandhara was just one of the classical Janapadas and actually the only one in Afghanistan. Culturally, it was clearly a part of the Indian society at the time. "g. Greco-Bactrian coins include gold staters, silver tetradrachms, silver and bronze drachms, and a small number of punch-marked coins. The bust of the king with his name written in Greek and Prakit were on the obverse, and Greek deities and images of Buddha were on the reverse. Approximate date: 250-125 B.C."-The time constraints imply that Greco-Bactrian coins minted in the Paropamisadae were meant here. However, large parts of the Greco-Bactrian territory were outside the current territory of Afghanistan."Prakit" does not exist. Meant was "Prakrit" as local language. Whether the use of this term in this context is correct is a matter of opinion. It is far more correct and common to define the legend by the used Kharosthi script. Kharosthi and Greek were usually not together on the obverse.[ATTACH=full]1472245[/ATTACH] "i. Kushan Dynasty coins include silver tetradrachms, copper coin (Augustus type), bronze diadrachms and gold dinars. Imagery includes portrait busts of each king with his emblem ( tamgha) on both sides. Classical Greek and Zoroastrian deities and images of the Buddha are depicted on the reverse. Approximate date: A.D. 19-230."-About two-thirds of the Kushan territory was outside of Afghanistan. Kushan denominations are used in different manners, but diadrachms do not exist.[ATTACH=full]1472241[/ATTACH] "m. Shahiya or Shahis of Kabul coins include silver, bronze, and copper drachma with inscriptions of military and chief commanders. Hindu imagery is included on the coin design. The two main types of images are the bull and horseman and the elephant and lion. Approximate date: A.D. 565-879.- The Turk Shahi of item "l" also formed the Turk Shahi dynasty of Kabul. So this point probably refers to the Hindu Shahi of Kabul. Whose reign and bull and horseman coinage only started at the beginning of the ninth century AD.The end date more ore less co-incides with the loss of Kabul to the Saffarids. Who are not usually included under the Kabul shahi, but did produce coinage there.Most "bull and horseman" coinage was produced after this date and more to the east in the Punjab, and thus legal. However, production of all "elephant and lion" coins likely only started in the 10th century AD,(also largely in the Punjab) so should not be mentioned here with this time frame.[ATTACH=full]1472242[/ATTACH] "o. Ghaznavid coins include gold dinars with bilingual inscriptions, Islamic titles in Arabic and Sharda and images of Shiva, Nandi, and Samta Deva. Approximate date: A.D. 977-1186."- The bi-lingual coins in Sanskrit/Arab are silver Dirhams. They do not exist as gold Dinars. The Ghaznavids were strict Muslims. They would not tolerate coins with an image of Shiva. It looks like someone actually copied this sentence without understanding from Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghaznavid_bilingual_coinage" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghaznavid_bilingual_coinage" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghaznavid_bilingual_coinage</a>there it reads: "portrayal of the Shaiva Bull, Nandi and the legend Shri samta deva". With "Shaiva" here is meant that the bull was an originally Shaivist symbol, not that Shiva was on the coins. "Samta Deva" is a misspelling of "Samanta Deva" which was copied literally.[ATTACH=full]1472243[/ATTACH] "p. Ghurid coins include silver and gold tangas with inscriptions and abstract goddess iconography. Approximate date: A.D. 879-1215."-Again a large part of the Ghorid territory was outside Afghanistan. The "abstract goddess iconography" can only refer to the Lakshmi Staters which were the continuation of the city coinage of Kannauj and Bayana. Both these cities are located in India.[ATTACH=full]1472244[/ATTACH] "r. Mughal coins include shahrukhi, gold mithqal, gold mohur, silver rupee, copper dams, and copper falus. The iconography varies, depending on the ruler, but popular designs include images of the Hindu deities Sita and Ram, portrait busts of the rulers, and the twelve zodiac signs. Approximate date: A.D. 1526-1857."- Mughal Zodiac AR rupees and AV Mohurs were never minted in Afghanistan as far as i know. Now i feel sad and tired:[ATTACH=full]1472240[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

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