Kingdom of Chach. Circa 7-8th century AD. AE Unit. Obverse: Dual portrait of King and Queen. Reverse: Tamgha of the Chach. King Tarnavch (7-8th century AD) Obv: Predatory beast. Lion? Snow Leopard? Rev: Pitchfork-like Tamgha ( Seal) Located in modern day Tashkent, Uzbekistan, they were a major kingdom along the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty. Monks and traders pass through Chach especially on pilgrimage to India. The Tang Dynasty monk Xuan Zang noted the kingdom as Zhe Shi 赭時 in his records during his journey to the west to retrieve Buddhist scriptures back from India. However, the kingdom eventually became lost with time and the Islamic penetration to the central Asian planes.
Cool Silk Road coins @Loong Siew ! Here are the only ones that I have: Sogdiana silk road 700-800 CE AE Cash Tamga Samitan RARE Ex: The Eclectic Collection of Nathan Miller Western Sogdiana, Hyrcodes, c. 3rd-4th Century AD AR scyphate "obol" or reduced drachm, 12mm, 0.56gm, 11h; Bukhara mint. Obv.: Diademed, bearded male head right. Rev.: Trace of blundered Greek legend. Deity standing facing, flames on shoulders, holding spear. Reference: BMC Bactria p. 118, 10 (pl. XXIV); cf. MACW 358 ("Dahae"). Ex: The Transient Coin Empire of @John Anthony
Very nice!! These coins are fascinating as there is so much diversity and history behind them.. I always looked at the silk road as one of mystery and exoticism...
I have just one coin of Chach, the Tarnavch with snow leopard type that I picked up on a whim at the Baltimore show a couple of years ago: I think the biggest obstacle to these coins gaining popularity is the lack of historical information behind them-they make the Parthians seem like late Republican-early Imperial Rome by comparison.
Some low grade items from a "study lot". I have a few others from the region that I have not been able to identify.
I also like silk road coins. Here is a coin of Chach: Chach, Trident tamgha, Tudun Satachari, 7-8th century AD, AE19, 2.58g Obv: Bust of ruler (Tudun Satachari?) three-quarter right, wearing crown and necklace; star to right; all within circle of large dots Rev: Sogdian legend stčry tδwn γwβ ('Ruler Tundun Satachari'?) around trident tamgha. Sh&K #207-212
Sadly not much info available for us. However I believe the Russians have quiet a bit of research on them..
I went through a period when I was getting these from eBay at low prices (for low grade coins) but stopped after a coupe bad experiences with bronze disease from that seller. I IDed them as far as I could in S&K but that left a number of question marks which I never researched further. This is one of those groups where you migh need a half dozen coins to assemble a complete legend and get different readings from different sources. It looked like a great place for specialists to do work of real value to the hobby.
I think @Parthicus is right about why these aren't popular, but that also means @dougsmit is right that it is "a great place for specialists to do work of real value to the hobby"... and for others to engage in amateurish speculation (see below). I have 5 from Chach: "Wanwan" - 2nd-4th c.(?) Tarnavch (7th-8th c.?) Nirtanak (7th-8th c.?) "Nirt"? (7th-8th c.?) The tamgha on this one resembles those of Farankat and "Unknown principality III" on zeno.ru. Unknown ruler, 7th-8th c.? On Zeno, this tamgha is attributed to the city of Kabarna. The horseman is suggestive of steppe nomads, and is quite reminiscent of some later Seljuk issues. Could this be Gökturk? (Amateurish speculation.)
