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 Replies: 9 / Views: 3,629 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
During the early middle ages the Arab advance into central seemed unstoppable and nearly complete, the products of the silk road lined the city streets and the pockets of merchants. The Sogd traders are among the most famous and celebrated trade cultures of the ancient world. Ancient Chinese and Indian texts make reference to large portions of the traders delivering wears on to Tang China were Sogd merchants. These people eventually became the word for merchant in the region. The Sodg clans resisted the Arab invasion and sought the comfort and support of the Chinese economic system. Casting coins in bronze with the Chief Tamgha and in Sogdiane script. (A type of Aramaic language.) What I don't understand is why the refernces say that the reverse tamgha is a Runic(?) letter "P". I thought Runic was being used in Europe and a "p" looks like modern "K."We need someone to go medieval on the subject and throw cash at it. Russian Turkestan Semirech'e, Sogd Turgesh Kaganate AE Fen 25 mm x 5.26 gram Cast AD 750-800 Obverse: Sogdian legend "Fen of King of Turgesh Kagan" around square hole Reverse: Tamgha of Turgesh in the shape of a runic letter "P" in the left field. Ref: Kamyshev's #24 in "Early Medieval Monetary Complex of Semirechie" Note: Extremely Rare. Thick beautiful green patina.   |
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5172 Posts |
I suppose it refers to the so-called Turkic (Orkhon) runes, which would be from the same general area as this coin (though, IIRC, a bit later). No connection to the well-known Germanic runes other than looking vaguely similar.
As far as I can tell, their letter for "p" looks kind of like the modern digit "1" (not that I can see this shape on the coin either).
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Moderator
 Australia
16817 Posts |
Quote:
What I don't understand is why the refernces say that the reverse tamgha is a Runic(?) letter "P". I thought Runic was being used in Europe and a "p" looks like modern "K". They don't say it is a Runic P, they say it looks like a Runic P. I believe the letter peorth is the "Runic letter P" they are referring to. Which looks a little closer to the shape you see on the reverse of these Sogdian cash, but it's still not a match that would occur to me to say. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
'Ancientnoob', did you do the attribution yourself or did you rely on the atribution given by a reliable dealer? The reason I am asking is that I found a site which shows several of those cash: http://www.sogdcoins.narod.ru/engli...e/coins.htmland there they have as description for the reverse of Kamyshev#24: Tamgha of Turgeshs in the shape of stylized runic letter am.Which fits the image of your coin very well. There are other variants which have the Orkhon rune for 'P' (  'january1may') on the reverse field as well. Postscript: Before I forget, congrats on the coin - hope I can find one myself.  Edited by Medieval
11/16/2014 01:30 am
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Nate you found another interesting coin type, I have never seen this type before. Congrats
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5155 Posts |
Thanks guys. I am not seeing this runic letter either on my coin. Yes medieval I did attribute the coin myself. The seller provided only the mint and AE cash-like coin. I tried to confirm the attribution with a far more expensive coin of the same legend and similar weight being sold by Alex Fishman and it appaears that it might also be wrong. http://www.numismall.com/acc/Very-r...-w21151.html |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
You have Kamyshev on hand yourself?
If yes, then there is some discrepancy for the reverse description of the type.
In he link the description given for #24 matches your coin while your reverse description matches other varieties.
Hope it all works out okay.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4964 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
567 Posts |
Shall we play battle of the Central Asian cash coins? Let's start from the source. Here's a Tang Chinese issue from Kucha in Xinjiang:  Tang, Dai Zong, Dali Period (766-79) Da Li yuan bao, reverse blank. H 14.130 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
JCM, Great piece and a contemporary to the original post. Cool. I am going to get me one of the early Tangs to go with my Yazdgard III drachm. Interesting to find out the Sassanian heirs fled there after the Arab subjugation of Persia.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 3,629 |
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Posted 11/15/2014 11:29 pm
