Another coin from the recent Baltimore show: Arab-Sasanian, Bukhara. Billon drachm. In the name of Caliph Al-Mahdi (158-169 AH/775-785 AD). Obverse: Bust right, in front inscription in Sogdian "Buh'ar Hub K'ay" (Great Lord of Bukhara), behind inscription in Arabic "Al-Mahdi". Reverse: Sasanian-style fire altar with two attendants, bust of Ahura Mazda in altar/flames. Album 94, Mitchiner World of Islam 295. Bukhara (located in what is now Uzbekistan) was founded around the sixth century BC and became an important trading center on the Silk Road. In the sixth century AD the city began minting imitations of Sasanian drachms, based on the type of Vahran V (420-438 AD) which featured the bust of the god Ahura Mazda in the flames (and sometimes as part of the fire altar, depending on the skill of the engraver). These early coins looked much like the coin above, except without the Arabic inscription, merely the Sogdian mention of a general "Great Lord of Bukhara". During the time of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mahdi the caliph's name was added to the design. The reason for this is unclear (the city apparently had already come under control of the Caliphate years earlier), but the coinage issued in Al-Mahdi's name was abundant, as this type is common today. There are also much rarer coins in the same style in the names of Muhammad (possibly issued before 775 AD) and the later caliphs Harun Al-Rashid (786-809 AD) and Al-Amin (809-813 AD). Standard Abbasid silver coinage (featuring only Arabic inscriptions, with no pictorial elements) started at Bukhara in 809 AD. The silver content of the Al-Mahdi coins of Bukhara varies greatly, from high-purity silver to billon with more copper than silver. These coins are fairly common today; I paid $25 for this example from The Time Machine. Please post any relevant coins you have.
This is a challenging area to collect, @Parthicus! Before the Islamic conquest Bukhara had struck coins like this: Bukharian Soghd, AE 16.5mm, Ruler Asbar, circa 450-650 AD? Obv: Portrait right, within circle of dots. Rev: Bukharan tamgha arranged as a fire altar, Soghdian legend on both sides: "xwB 'sbr". (Ruler 'sbr) Cf. Zeno 21134. "Many opinions exist about the dating of these coins, from the 3rd cent AD to the 6th cent." When the Islamic armies arrived in 650 AD, they found a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and decentralised collection of peoples, ruled by Bukhar Khudahs ("Lords of Bukhara"), a local Sogdian dynasty. The majority of the inhabitants of Bukhara, including the rulers of the city, were Zoroastrians. Here is another example of Parthicus' coin from the early Islamic period. 'Bukhar Hudat' with name of al-Mahdi AD 770-780-783. Bukhara mint, AE drachm (2.78g, 26mm) Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Sogdian legend Pwy'r ywB k'y 'King-Emperor of Bukhara'. Reverse: Fire altar; bust right on altar. Stylized attendants to either side. Al Mahdi was the third Abbasid Caliph and reigned 744-785 AD.
Here's mine! How cool is that little guy in the fire altar? I can never remember his name....Ahura Mazda. Uhura Mazda Ok, I think I'll remember it now. I have a thing for Uhura.
