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The kings of Chach

Started by Figleaf, July 24, 2016, 03:49:55 PM

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Figleaf

The first attachment shows you a recapitulation of the tamghas I have shown you in this thread. The table is from SK. It will be clear that the tamghas ar the key to understanding Chach coins. However, there is more to those tamghas. In the second and third attachment, you see that SK have found 12 sub-varieties of the first tamgha alone. There are varieties with the "bird's head" left or right and the rest is zero, one two or three added signs, dots, annulets or crosses. What could they be? Some suggestions:

  • A date. Maybe, but why do we not see higher numbers than three?
  • A mint mark. Possible, but in that case, wouldn't you have expected subtypes with two crosses, three crosses and three annulets? Also, weight seems to have been not too strictly observed anyway, so why would the rulers of Chach have bothered?
  • A mintmaster mark. Why not, but as above and why would the same mintmaster (dots) make coins with head left and head right?
All authors call the tamgha's dynastic signs. Yet, on the coins, there is a relation between tamgha and legends, including names. There is no agreement on dating the individual types of coins, but there seems to be general agreement that the coins with tamghas 2 to 9 were produced between 500 and 800. Seven or eight tamghas for a period of 300 years is just not enough. A change of dynasty with the end of every reign stretches the imagination.

However, if we count the sub-variants as separate kings, we do get acceptable results. This would mean that the names on the coins are not those of individuals, but either clan names or the names of a revered leader, much like the name Ceasar was adopted by subsequent Roman emperors. I find this a reasonable working hypothesis.

To tickle you further, the last illustration is a sub-variant not listed by SK that should logically exist: bird's head left and one dot. No, it's not an annulet. If a bleeping amateur like me can find an unlisted sub-variant of a tamgha, you can bet there are other undiscovered secrets to be found on the coins of Chach.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Figleaf

Here's a recent acquisition. This coin has an obverse like the one in reply #9 and a reverse like the one in reply #10. I think it is SK group 6, type 9, version 1 number 256. The coin is 18mm, 1.36 grams. To guide the eye, I am adding a drawing from the SK book.

SK6_9.jpeg

Mine is variant I. What looks like an O above the tamgha are in fact the remnants of the third and fourth sogdian character. This type is reportedly found in the towns of Kanka and Banaket, outlaying regions of Chach. They were probably cast. They were imitating the contemporary coins of Tarnavch of Chach or were possibly issued by this ruler.

SK6_9_2.jpg

Obv: lion looking right, tail raised in circle of dots.
Rev: Tamgha, Sogdian legend around ch'chynk xwb ("ruler of Chach").

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

krishna

Whre are you getting the coins of chach from? Seems a pretty difficult task sourcing them and furthermore difficult to research and identify them.

Tirant

Good to know i can forgive myself for never hearing about Chach ;D

It's a quite impressive collection (even though many of these coins ain't yours); i find really interesting your SK 96 coin (third group), specially the portrait: it's not only better done than the others, but it's also not 100% frontal. Maybe it was unintended, or just a coincidence, anyway I don't remember seeing any other coin from those years with a "perspective" portrait.

Figleaf

@krishna, Chach coins are not plentiful, but they are around. Museums in Uzbekistan have them in quantity. SK studied some 2000 coins and divided them in about 300 types, meaning that about 6 in 7 coins were duplicates. According the Uzbek law, the coins may not be exported, so in theory, the amount of coins outside Uzbekistan is fixed. This is what makes them hard to find.

@Tirant, 3 of the coins presented above are not mine and there's another one of my coins yet to be shown in this thread. Yes, the coins of Chach show haunting faces, peering out of weakly struck coins. They testify of "interesting times".

It is defensible to say that the Kushans prospered as long as they held Chach. It was one of the more prosperous stops on the silk route, the trading route from China to Venice and beyond. Whoever held Chach (the Shash oasis to the Arabs) was sure of a large income, so the area was continually invaded by whichever dynasty that was up and coming, like in this period the Hephtalites. Add that it was on the borderline between Asian and European races and you get a culturally fertile but politically explosive mix.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Figleaf

The tamgha is the same and it has a face on the other side, but ... it's not the same face (note the short moustache) as on the coin in reply #8. Not only is the shape of the head quite different, the head gear is different also. The ruler's name is read as Khwanurk, ruling somewhere in the period 650-750. This is clear evidence that the tamgha was a dynastic, rather than a personal logo.

SK6_1_1.jpg

This is SK group 6 type 1 version 1, number 193.
obv: Mongol type head right
rev: tamgha, legend xwnyrk c'cynk xwßw: Khwanurk ruler of Chach.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Tirant

Another interesting specimen (yours, i guess). Am i the only one who's amazed with those portraits? Never seen nothing similar in such ancient coins, always from side or frontal.

Figleaf

Quite right, Tirant. The portraits are full of character and they have no equal at this time in history. Here's another one. It was "cleaned" with a lot of force and decorated with scratches, presumable on discovery. However, these scratches have deformed the portrait into a ghost-like appearance with large, empty eye sockets and a toothy smirk that appealed to me.

I think this is SK 86. It is in the same group as the coin with clear portrait in reply #3, but SK think it is a different ruler of the same clan. Significantly, there is a dot in the tamgha on the reverse that is typical for this ruler. Note the chip on his shoulder, which is a moon. The counterpart behind the hair is only barely visible. It is usually described as a star, but more likely to be a sun, as on other coins, the sun/moon symbolism is common.

The scan is from SK and serves to explain how the coin was meant to look like.

Peter

SK 86.jpeg
SK group 3 type 1.jpeg
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

bgriff99

A large amount of Sogdiana region coinage has been excavated in the last few years.  Lots of Chach coins and going fairly cheap, from a seller in the USA from Russia, with good connections, distributing them.  I recommend him. 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134654637846?hash=item1f5a0ab716:g:ZmwAAOSwXTlksuiW

Pellinore

I did not acquire many 'new' Sogdian coins in the last years. Not that you have 'seen it all' when you have most of the tamghas and portrait types, but to my eyes, the variety is not very great.

But I found this one a bit different. Probably the bust on the obverse is a king's, but he looks a well-seasoned traveler with his slanted hat. * It's a thickish coin, though not very heavy, and the reverse is rather much askew. You can just recognize the beaker-form tamgha.

To help you looking: the left picture doesn't show any lettering, only a stipple circle. On the right picture, the tamgha is at the right, some unreadable lettering in the middle, and at the left is a waning crescent without anything to see.

Chach (Tashkent), 7th-8th cent. Ruler Khwanurk. Obv. Portrait with a round hat. Rev. beaker tamgha. 20 mm, 3.28 gr. Sh&K #192-194 (type 6, var. 1, more or less).

-- Paul
5696 Khwanurk ew.jpg

* A Dutchman will understand when I say 'a kind of Swiebertje'.

Figleaf

Like you, I find the Shash coins hyper-interesting. That includes the faces - apart from Wanwan it is somewhat difficult to find coins with faces are quite similar - but I look mostly at the symbols, like the tamghas, the head gear and the sun/moon attributes.

What I also find interesting is that the faces are clearly Asian or clearly European, while I suspect that since Alexander beat up the Persians and the Turks and Chinese had a clear interest in this key trading area, the two were already quite mixed. The political background, the area liberating itself from the Kushans and not yet a Turkish or Mongol fief, reaching a cultural high may hide an important message on how to flourish as a nation.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

ttkooau

Chach.....who knew?

Peter, thank you for this very interesting and thought provoking topic.
Fascinating.

Grant
The ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient


Figleaf

@bgriff99: not sure if the page has changed, since it is labelled as "bidding ended". The four thumbnails shown are all of Wanwan coins, so not an unknown ruler. The coins of Wanwan are the most common of the Chach coins. The trick is rather to find them in a well preserved condition. Unfortunately, the four coins shown are not in this category.

Glad you are taking an interest in the coins of Chach.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.