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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Finn235, post: 5361291, member: 98035&quot;]And you had to know it was coming....</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Indo-Sassanians!</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>This was my busiest year yet for these beautiful coins, despite not buying any while India was shut down for quarantine from March - October. One of my regular dealers on eBay reached out to me directly to offer me a deal to buy almost an entire hoard of about 120 specimens Series 1.1 (the earliest of the Gadhaiya family) and 70 specimens of Series 1.3 (the same as my avatar). I also purchased way too many Malwa types, most of a hoard of the extremely rare Sri Da Ma, and some other odds and ends. I&#039;ll have to make a recap thread to capture my ramblings, but here are my top purchases for the year.</p><p><br /></p><p>10. Series 1.1.2 &quot;Hun Portrait&quot;</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227421[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>In addition to a delightfully odd portrait, the attendants are a totally different style than is normally seen, with distinct legs rather than a herringbone skirt.</p><p><br /></p><p>9. Series 1.1.2 &quot;Hun portrait&quot;</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227420[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Despite the flat areas of strike, this coin is in exceptional condition, not only showing all facial details, but also a remarkable decorated hair bun, plus stringed beads behind the ear, which is a puzzle in itself that I have been trying to work through.</p><p><br /></p><p>8. Post-Bhoja pratiharas, Adivaraha type (not yet assigned)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227270[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This exceptionally rare coin follows the standard Adivaraha-dramma type (boar stomping lion, nagari legend on reverse atop remnants of fire altar and attendants) but with one important exception - the fire altar has the letter &#039;ma&#039; just like the earlier type &quot;Sri Vigra&quot;. Initially thinking this to be a discovery specimen, I realized that John Deyell beat me to the punch:</p><p><a href="https://www.academia.edu/35258308/The_Monetary_Dimensions_of_the_Vigrahapala_and_Adivaraha_Dramma_Coinage_an_Exploratory_Essay" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/35258308/The_Monetary_Dimensions_of_the_Vigrahapala_and_Adivaraha_Dramma_Coinage_an_Exploratory_Essay" rel="nofollow">https://www.academia.edu/35258308/The_Monetary_Dimensions_of_the_Vigrahapala_and_Adivaraha_Dramma_Coinage_an_Exploratory_Essay</a></p><p>(See figure 8 toward the bottom)</p><p>Regardless, this may be only the second specimen known!</p><p><br /></p><p>7. Series 1.1.6.2 Line Style I, Cheek Attached to Headgear[ATTACH=full]1227527[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This remarkable coin sheds new light on the purpose of the &quot;flower&quot; korymbos (top hair bun) that Maheshwari mused over and ultimately decided to base his division of these early series upon. While this is probably not the first to use a non-round korymbos, the intent to portray this as Shiva&#039;s trishula seems unmistakable to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Series 2.2.2 Sri Ha Predecessors, Sri only[ATTACH=full]1227380[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin confirms an earlier suspicion that a coin I bought a couple years ago belonged to the &quot;Sri X&quot; series, but lacked a second letter. It is unpublished and may be my second of 4-10 extant specimens.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Series 1.6.7 &quot;Distinctive Nose&quot; Gadhaiya with reverse legend Sri Jaita Vama Deva[ATTACH=full]1227269[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Two years ago, I had the opportunity to buy one of these on Vcoins for $100, but I hesitated for too long and someone else snapped it up. Imagine my surprise to win this for $15 with no bidding competition! Fewer than 20 of these coins are known, and are the only coin in all of Track 1 to bear a ruler&#039;s name, albeit one that does not perfectly match any name on any surviving king&#039;s list.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Series 2.4.5.1 Sri Da Ma, finer style[ATTACH=full]1227422[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Prior to December of last year, fewer than 20 of these coins were known. Then a hoard hit the market, and I managed to snatch them up at an average of about $3 each. I now own over 30, but this is the finest I own and may be the finest in existence - and it only cost $30!</p><p><br /></p><p>3. &quot;Series 0&quot; Atypical early Peroz imitations[ATTACH=full]1227271[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>My attribution is still somewhat tentative, but based on the remarkable style of the attendants, the unusual presentation of the fire altar ribbons (four pellets in a lozenge, markedly different than the standard sagging string of beads) and the presence of an unknown object (Sankha shell?) before the bust are enough to place it in the predecessor category, at least for now.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Series 1.6.1 &quot;Distinctive Nose&quot; early type with Gadhaiya face[ATTACH=full]1227268[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I nearly missed this in the last Pars Vauction, won it for the minimum bid, and it arrived in my mailbox late yesterday afternoon! I have posted the type before, this is my fifth specimen; I spotted one about a year back from a small batch of these coins that I didn&#039;t own, but there is a distinct possibility that it could be this one.</p><p><br /></p><p>Artist&#039;s depiction of Finn&#039;s face if he does in fact own all known specimens of a major rarity:[ATTACH=full]1227548[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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