I wanted to share one of the Christmas presents I gave myself. By no means rare, it is a silver drachm from the Turko-Hephthalic empire, the Hindu Shahi of Kabul, 850-970AD. Obverse is horseman with spear, reverse is a bull with the enscription 'shri spalapati deva' in Brahmi script. Minted at Ohind. There is the mark of a trident on the rear flank of the bull. The 'bull and horseman' design was used for centuries in South Asia, the coins becoming increasingly debased as time went on (I also have a crude example from Mohammed bin Sam of Delhi). It is a little piece of interesting Buddhist/Hindu culture present in an area we now associate with strict Islamic teachings. You'll remember the Taliban's efforts to destroy Buddhist monuments a number of years back. Revised: It appears the script translates as spalapati deva, not samanta deva as written in my subject line. This places the coin at 800-880AD. The attached picture is from the seller, I'm not yet set up to take adequate photos.
