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 Replies: 18 / Views: 2,739 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Long after Sassanid Persia with all its power influence and grander has faded into history, the bust of the emperors continued to be seen in the far reaches of the world. I find the decline in stylistic execution particularly intriguing. As the bust types declined, the weight and metal composition retained a relatively constant. The weight of the coins still retained the archaic Attic drachm standard nearly 1700 years old at this by this time. I have been collecting coins of medieval India, that nearly a thousand years later stilll carry the Sassanid winged bust type, just when I though I had them all, rare, little known and rarely collected coins keep presenting themselves. I scored 2 very rare pieces for very cheap amongst many other Indian coins I have yet to post. Today I present to you all one of the last (I think) Sassanid Persia bust type coins. Minted in the style of Khusro II. (or so THEY say) This coin comes from the Omkara Monastery minted by the Later Parama in Malwa (West Central India). These coins like I said before are quite rare, but very inexpensive. It seems that these crude designs command little collector interest. When searching for this coin, I can say I came for the bust but I bought it for the reverse inscription. Naming the Monastery that coined it. OM!  India, Malwa Omkara Mandhata Later Paramas in Malwa AR Drachm 1150-1300 AD 12 mm x 4.25 grams Obverse: Stylized Sassanid Bust right. Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire altar, without attendants;Devangari Script- SRI OM KARA ref: MNIS 431-440  Oh and while I was picking out the coin, I had to get his bootleg brother, also very rare! This coin also appealed to me for several reasons. 1) Same reasons as coin #1. 2) This one is a poor alloy billon coin with colored metals apparent.3)Its so rare its unlisted. When these coins are sold they are sold with the description of Coin #1, MNIS 431-440. It is also unclear weather the coin is a counterfeit from antiquity or a different lesser used denomination. New scholarship suspects these are ancient counterfeits. India, Malwa Omkara Mandhata BI Drachm (1150-1300AD) Late Parama in Malwa 12.0 mm x 4.00 grams Obverse: Degraded Sassanid Bust. Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire Altar with no attendants corrupt Devangari Script- SRI OM. ref: Unlisted  OM! Edited by Ancientnoob
08/31/2013 1:54 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Very interesting, as usual!
Never would have known that was a bust...
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5155 Posts |
Thanks TIF, I can always count on you!  I have really been having a ball with the India coins. I love all of the "fresh" material. As well as real rarities that can be had for cheap. I am confident that will change, recently I have noticed the offerings of Indian coins in the last few weeks have dried up.  Someone out there is buying what I buy. Many of the lesser quality secondary examples of what I already bought are now sold. As well as some stuff on my wish list that has gone unsold for the last year all started disappearing in the last 2 weeks. There is clandestine completion in my new region.  Edited by Ancientnoob
08/31/2013 1:59 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Wasn't me, lol. Well, except for that one Seljuqs, but I don't think you have one of those. It was still the inspiration though.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Yea at some point I need to get me a Seljuks. Thanks TIF, lol.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
946 Posts |
Amazing finds.
Why did they seek to imitate the obverse coin of the Sasanian kingdom, was that kingdom and its coinage seen in India as a " de rigueur" example?
I know that by the date of these examples, the exiled Zoroastrian Persians (Parsees) were established in Western India, such as Gujarat and the Maharashtra, especially the city of Mumbai.
At the same time, in Anatolia, the Seljuk Sultans bore names such as "Khusru".
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I have developed and interest in these coins thanks to you Nate, but I have haven't been able to buy coins for a long while as you know. Sometime down the road when I'm able I would love to acquire some of these. The history of the region is very interesting and these are two really nice coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Masis-
I think the answer as to why they chose a Sassanid style bust is just that. The drachms of Peroz circulated among the Hunnic tribes for centuries in Asia prior to the fall of Persia to the Arab invaders. The drachms of Khusro were also circulated in Asia and widely copied by the early Muslim rulers, but imitations of such circulated in India for many centuries beyond the Muslim coinage reform that brought you the text based coins so often seen.
I think you hit the nail on the head, with your statement. These just "looked' like a coin, a bust on one side and an altar on the other, 4 grams and silver, good enough to get you what you wanted.
I think by the time the Omkara coin was minted the meaning of the Zoroastrian fire altar and AhuraMazda and the name of the king on the obverse had been lost to time. The Persian exiles had long mingled with native populations had fallen under the denomination of numerous heathen tribes. I am sure in the Muslim world at this time some remnant of the accomplishments of Persia remained. I do not believe this was the case in India, long cut of by the various Huns that dominated the lands as well as the barrier created by the Kshatrapas and Guptas of the centuries before.
Ski-
Mission Accomplished...
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Well now that you have completed the series, you are going to have to do a write up about them. I'm looking forward to seeing them. Congrats on completing your goal.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Well as far as completing a set Like the Roman Emperors that is a lofty goal. Think of it as having a Zeno. I have many of the representative types but as far as having them all, well I don't think any one has them all. there are many, super expensive intermediate types. I have 90% of them I would say. Many just one of each period. A nice spread will show the degradation of the type.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
This would have been the original host coin. KhusroII Shah of Persia 591-628AD  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4981 Posts |
two more cool ones I haven't seen! I can still make out the head but the fire altar is very abstract..neato.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Nate, do you know if these coins circulated outside of India and Persia? During this period the Byzantine empire was the largest single empire in the same general region. I know that the two had fought with each other on several occasions.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
In the centuries leading up to the fall of Persia, Persian coins were circulated as well as imitated all over Asia. By the time the OP post coins were circulating the Huna were nothing more than a drop in the vast sea of time. The Huns that had been separated from the other tribes, had long mingled with the many migratory peoples that's inhabited India at that time. Persian coins circulated as far as China, but the style did not take hold there, as it did in India. The subsequent invasions of Muslims and their various dynasties shaped the Iranian speaking peoples up until the present day. Nothing remains of the source cultures, or original homelands. I urge you to check your drop box, there is a great dissertation on the subject. Probably the best I have ever read. I must also credit it for feeding the beast.
If anyone is interested and has a drop box account feel free to PM me.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Thanks, looks like an interesting read.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Interesting catch Anob! You have become quite the expert on Indian coins |
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Replies: 18 / Views: 2,739 |
Posted 08/31/2013 1:44 pm
