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 Replies: 14 / Views: 4,536 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
If you are at least mildly interested in coins of the eastern empires, then you realize that time did not stop and every empire did not fall with western Romans. For centuries ancient peoples circulated coins that were an imitation of a long lost host coin and probably had not realized it. These folks circulated coins that "looked" like coins of the area. In the eastern world a good coin is silver and bears a right facing bust of a crowned king. Most of which we still call Drachms. Many of these coins had Persian style headgear and Zoroastrian reverses, long after the Zoroasters had influence and long after the man pictures had died. The Persian style coins made it into ancient Asia and India carried vast distances by trade caravans and mounted armies. The two main types are the imitations of Peroz ruling 459 -484 AD pictured top right. Carried across Asia as tribute for the Hephthalite Huns. The others who imitate Khusro II ruling 590 -628 AD pictured top left. There have been several transitional types and not all of them are pictured here. (This is just from my collection.) The last small crude coins pictured at the very bottom are the last incarnation of the Khusro II bust. It is inscribed "OM". One of the small crude coins is a Billon imitation of this very last imitation of an imitation of an imitation of the imitation of Khusro II. These coins are dated to about 1300-1350 AD found at the Omkara Monastery in India.  |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
These are all excellent coins, I'm starting to build a collection of these myself. I am very interested in the history of these Eastern empires.
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Difficult to make out some of the coins, so you might want to post them one-by-one in a time sequence with explanations for the benefit of all.
Counting from top to bottom, left to right:
Is the third one from Tabaristan?
The seventh and the ninth seem to be from the Rajput dynasties, correct?
And the tenth is from the Silaharas.
Quite some of the types have gone through something like a fairy-tale 'Motivwanderung'.
Is there a connection going from the Roman "horseman" motif to the Samanta Deva coinage and on to the Maharajahs of Kangra in the 17th century? (Just another example perhaps.)
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
435 Posts |
Very very interesting and informative collection. I too would like to see a few of them posted individually, to show the evolution of the types..
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5155 Posts |
Bare with me gentleman I will get you some individual pictures, attributions and dimensions.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4970 Posts |
i don't remember you last row of late coins...would like close up for sure.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Coins Left to Right Top to Bottom 1. Khusro II 590-628 AD Dirham  2. Peroz I 459 - 484 AD Dirham  3. Tabaristan, Al-Hani 788-789 AD 1/2 Dirham  4. Turko-Hephthalite White Huns, Vasu Deva 700 AD  5.Hephthalites Peroz Imitation c. 550-600 AD AR Drachm 23.5 mm x 4.11g Pre-Saurashtran Series Obverse:Bust with Winged skull cap. Reverse:Corrupt Pahlavi letters fire altar with attendants. ref: Mitchiner 64  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
6. Pratihara Supremacy India Pratikara - Pala (780-980 AD) 21.5 mm x 4.13 g Found in Gujarat and Malwa but no one knows the name of the issuing king.  7.India, Saurashta and Gujarat 800-950AD AR Drachm 17.2 mm x 4.00 grams Obverse: Stylized bust of Khusro II right. Reverse: Stylized Zoroastrian fire alter. ref: Michener 422  8.Turco-Hephthalite Lords of Bukhara in the name of Abbasid Caliph Muhammad al-Mahdi (775-785 AD) AR/BI Drachm 25 mm x 2.50 g Obverse:Sogd script-Lord of Bukhara; Persian Bust right. Reverse: Zoroastrian fire altar flanked by ribbons and attendents. Bust of Ahura Mazda right in flames. Ref: Album 94BMAS319 ?  9.Saurashta and Gujarat 1120-1210 AD  10.Western India Siharas of Khankan (1000-1200 AD) Anonymous AR Drachm 14 mm x 4.19 g Obverse: Stylized Sassanian Bust right. "Sri" in Brahmi behind head left field. Reverse: Stylized Horseman spearing two falling enemies. Sun in upper right field. ref: Mit. NIS 651v Note: Fine Silver, Very Rare.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Quote:
Thanks guys. Now Discuss! Let me add two other coins before that, the first to be placed at the side of #3 above:   1/2 Dirhem of Muqatil from Tabaristan, dated PYE139 (= 790) and the second is on a side line towards #8:   "Srio Shaho" Drachm of the "Naphi Melik" coinage of the Hephthalites (the coin is with 30mm around as wide as the Sasanid Drachms and a little thinner - pity the reverse image is so faint) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Thats a pretty decent Nezak Hun you have there. I have been wanting to score one in silver. They seem to be available for not a lot of money. That coin is probably most closely related to my coin no. 4.
Edited by Ancientnoob
10/07/2014 2:04 pm
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Seeing you bumped your other topic, let's not forget about this enlightening one 'Ancientnoob'.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
AR Drachm Nezak Hun Napti Malka Legend: MLKA SHIN Reverse: Fire altar with attendants, star wheel above their heard Ghazni mint 26 mm x 3.2 grams, die axis 10h S type #222   |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
435 Posts |
I hope you don't mind me sharing this one here, AN, for the sake of its lovely condition. I think I have the ID correct, but I still struggle with the script: ISLAMIC, Arab-Sassanian; Umar (bin al-'Ala) Abbasid governor of Tabaristan; AR Hemidrachm, Year 121 PYE ≈ AH 148. 24 mm, 1.75 g, DA 9°. Obv. Legend l. and r. Crowned and draped bust right, Islamic legend in margin. Rev. Legend l. And r. Fire altar flanked by two priests. Ref. Album 55.  Again, Ancientnoob, thanks for this thread. You have a genuine gift for conveying great summaries of your field in an enjoyable manner. Edited by Valecrucis
11/22/2014 7:59 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Netherlands
1204 Posts |
Interesting topic, great coins! Dont have any of these eastern coins.. which doesn't mean I dont like them ;-)
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Replies: 14 / Views: 4,536 |
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Posted 10/05/2014 6:42 pm
