The Indo-Parthian dynasty was founded by a Suren, (one of the great Parthian families), who rebelled against the Parthian king in western India/SE Iran. The first ruler was Gondophares. The last to issue coins was Sanabares around 160-230. After Ardashir and the Sassanians came to power, a very little known leader named Farn Sasan, (formerly misread as Artemitra), came to rule over a similar area. He made the ancient coin with the longest known geneological inscription of "Farn Sasan, son of Adur Sasan, grandson of Tirdat, son of the grandson of Sanabar, the King of Kings". This inscription goes a VERY long way to proving his legitimacy on his coinage. Here is the coin: SASANIAN VASSELS, Kings of Turan, Artemitra. ca. AD. 230-241. AE Tetradrachm (6.30 gm; 22 mm). Bearded bust left, wearing Parthian-style tiara / Fire altar. Mitch 1259. Well struck on a nice broad flan. Brown reddish patina. Choice Good VF / VF. Scarce. Its listed as scarce, but searching for them brings up very few examples ever sold. What is even more interesting is both the name Sasan so prominent in the name, as well as the script of Aramaic used. We know about the Sasanian empire, founded by Ardashir. He was son of Papak, whom we believed first rebelled against the Parthian satrap in Pars. Ardashir struck coins in Pars, yet immediately changed the type of coinage as soon as he founded a new empire. Why was this? Also, He was supposedly a descendent of "Sasan", yet Sasan was not a name endemic in Pars. It is likely that Ardashir's family did not originally come from Pars, but were transplants, and probably came from the same area where the Indo Sasanian empire was around Sakistan. Below is a map of the Indo Parthian kingdom at its largest extent. Both the name and the type of Aramaic legend are too similar for most coincidences. Further evidence of a connection is the fire alter reverse. It is on this coin, and no other Indo Parthian coins. Ardashir never had a fire alter type on coins from Pars, yet he started the Sasanid empire with a fire alter reverse from day one. Maybe one ruler copied the fire alter reverse from the other, but that does not explain the similarity of writing styles that are both demonstrably different than Pars coinage. The legend on this coin, being so long, was actually pieced together by multiple pieces since none exist with the entire legend on the flan. This is an example of the importance of good books. I bought this coin because I had never heard of it but I collect Sasanian. However, three days after I received it I received "ReOrienting the Sasanians, East Iran in Late Antiquity" by Khodahad Rezzakhani. In it, this coin was listed specifically because of its importance and discussion of what the coin means in terms of Sasanian ancestry. If I hadn't bought the coin I would have been very upset with myself after reading this passage. But, if I never bought the book I would have never understood how important its meaning is. This is why, to me, good books and ancient collecting must go hand in hand to maximize our hobby.
Fascinating! The vassal states between the great Persian empires and India proper have always been a point of fascination, even if I don't understand the history all that well. Particularly interesting that this ruler was descended from the Indo-Parthians, and opted for a Parthian-style bust coupled with distinctly Sassanian fire altar imagery. (Also, the reverse is upside down in your pic!) Sadly, not much to share, except one from roughly the same time, and a bit further east - the mysterious "Ardashir Mervshah" - a coin which I regrettably sold a couple years ago but at least took images of:
And as a followup, I do wish to thank you for turning me on to this coin @Finn235 . Here is one I won last week. As an added bonus, I bought two group lots also. Anyone else see what I see, (hint, coins in this thread). Yep, ANOTHER Ardashir of Merv not even referenced in the description. Another "King of Turan" also not referenced. However, it WAS on the package I got from the auction, for some reason they never published that on the internet. I bought both of these lots for what I would have paid for the one coin, so all of the Parthian stuff is "free" to me.
