Nezak Huns of Kabul; Drachm of Napki Malka, ca 630-700AD, and other Huns

[Ancientnoob]

Kobadien, Northern Tokharistan,
Xionite Huns
AR Drachm 30 mm x 2.87 grams
Struck AD 680-720
Obverse: Crowned Bust of Peroz flanked by Tamghas- Countermark, Forepart horse, Circular symbol, Human head wearing pom pom hat-Cursive Bactrian Greek- ALChOON
Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire Altar flanked by two attendants. Counter mark Reclining Camel, Human head wearing Satrapal Cap.
ref# cf.Gobl 72/73
Note: Rare, Silk Road Coin.

I saw one of these. I have it attributed to a much later date. I don't remember these being considered contemporary to the Peroz Host coins. I have a great deal of visible counter marks. I personally like the reclining camel on the reverse. Very silk road-ish.

[THCoins]

Hi Noob, another nice one. Manzikert showed a similar one earlier in hits thread. I think the coin reference is Göbl Em. 288.
The ruler under whom the coins were minted is also commonly referred to as the Termez Shah. Some more info here.

[Manzikert]

Thanks for that link to Zeno TH, it slightly preempts what I was going to post, and I will have to spend a few hours looking through that area of Zeno.

I have a total of 5 of these pieces, two of which I have had for about 35 years and three which I bought recently because they had marks not represented on my original two. They have been rather harshly cleaned, but one has marks 1, 2, 3 and 4 plus a mark not represented there which looks to me like an eagle's head left. I am certain it can't be another version of mark 5 (which is clearly represented on another of them) as there is definitely a beak.

Also, I was going to post that the camel on Ancientnoob's piece wasn't a camel but I now see it is clearly mark kob6, with the camel and elephant's head.

It seems possible that my original two may have come from part of the Termez hoard which got dispersed before Gobl saw it (they just have his marks 72 and 73), and the other three might come from Hoard 3 as they show similar extra marks.

Alan

[Ancientnoob]

Excellent info.

In the spirit of the thread I also wanted to share a coin that was just released from a 4 month customs detention. I am surprised I even recieved the coin and even surprised by the awesomeness of the type. This is what I have on it...

Hunnic Tribes, Nezak Huns.
Sahi Tigin.
BI Drachm. Circa AD 710-720.
28.50mm, 2.80g.
Kapisa-Kabul mint.
Obv.CPI TOGINI PHOYO in Baktrian, diademed and crowned bust right
Rev: Fire altar with ribbons, flanked by two attendants. "Srima dive" in Brahmi down to right of altar shaft, ["pare Sri down to left].
Ref# Gobl, Dokumente Em. 206, MACW -. Zeno #20999. Good very fine.
Note: Rare specially at this condition.

[Manzikert]

A nice specimen, I am most envious: I'm afraid my one, which came from the same source as yours, is in a very sorry state (2.87 gm, 30 mm).

There is also a superb one on Zeno (21384) with a lovely countermark on the neck.

Alan

[BACTRIANUMIS]

Nice items, especially the last one! The one I have has no comparison in terms of condition, but it bears quite distinct "bull head" counter-mark.. cant find any reference to it..

[Pellinore]

Good to discover this thread about a series of coins I very much like. Here's one of mine. Name of the lord is Sero, from the age of Sahi Tigin (about 710-720). Göbl 242.
Dimensions: weight 4,04 gr., diameter 31,96 mm.

[THCoins]

Very nice addition ! Never encountered one of these. Although the reverse seems double struck i still think i can see the fire altar and attendants there. The thing in the crown is usually described as a solar disk i think. In this form it almost looks like a lotus with 8 petals, which might be a buddhist symbol ?

By the way; For people who were not informed about this yet: the previously well known Grifterrec website, which closed after the death of Tom Mallon-McCorgray, is available again here. Lots of nice pictures and information on the subject.

[Figleaf]

Thank you. Link collection updated.

Peter

[Pellinore]

I had forgotten to add the dimensions of the Sero coin, I put them in my original message for clarity's sake.

In Vondrovec's voluminous book Coinage of the Iranian Huns and their Successors from Bactria to Gandhara (4th to 8th Century CE), Vol. 2, you find the coin (type 242) on p. 614 and the crown described as "a winged crown with a large crescent, containing a jewel, two knotted snakes emerge from the diadem". The coins depicted by Vondrovec have a different number of dots in the "jewel", 11 or 12.

[THCoins]

I had not detected the snakes yet. Just assumed the Sassanian style wings. With a variable number of dots around the disk it is probably not likely that the exact shape has a symbolic meaning. (I had an association with the Hindu Sudarshana Chakra also)

[Pellinore]

Nice items, especially the last one! The one I have has no comparison in terms of condition, but it bears quite distinct "bull head" counter-mark.. cant find any reference to it..

@Vaxtankava, I started from your remark and looked up the countermarks in the books of Vondrovec (this is Vol. II, pp. 648-653, and p. 944 for the countermarks, see the picture) and the great scientific work that forms the base of all modern Hunnic numismatics, Dokumente zur Geschichte der iranischen Hunnen in Baktrien und Indien (1967) by Robert Göbl, a four-volume book in German that's not easy to fathom.

The types of these coins (206, 207 and 240) bear only a small number of the many countermarks, numbered 101, 123 and 124. 123 is described as a "bull's head in 3/4 frontal view with a small globe between the horns", and that's clear from your coin. 124 shows a boar's (?) head to the right with on its left side a human profile, probably the other c/m on your coin. 101 is somehow not depicted by Göbl, but it's clear in showing a series of tiny dashes ,,,, at the lower side. I've one of these, but it's hard to photograph (all dark billion, and too bumpy for the scanner). Update: I now took a photo by daylight, and that worked quite well, I discovered details I hadn't noticed before! It's inserted here.

Göbl says more or less that the meaning of the c/m on the neck of the ruler can only mean that he is vanquished. The bull and the boar-human head possibly had a symbolic meaning like the Roman Empire's field standards. And the coin being countermarked had a financial-political reason: probably they needed coin for small pay, and this was a way to confiscate enemy coins for your own needs and with a definite value. Feel free to add and correct!

Paul

[coinlover]

Here is my modest addition to this fantastic discussion,

Silver drachm, weight = 3.24 gm., diameter = 29.7 mm.


Anjan

[THCoins]

Not so modest, as you have one with a quite nice reverse ! These are the hardest to get in this type.

[coinlover]

Thank you, Anthony. Can this coin be attributed to a particular ruler ?


Anjan