e a r l y  c e n t r a l  a s i a n  
k i n g d o m s

The medieval Bukharan and Choresmian kingdoms, Samarkand Sogd, Southern Sogd, Chach, Ustrushana and Semirech'e.


| Bukhara/Western Sogd - Yueh Chi - Dahae - Choresmia |
| Medieval Bukhara and Choresmia - Samarkand and Southern Sogd - Chach |
| Huvishka Imitations and Jouan-Jouan |
| North Tokharistan, page 1 |
| North Tokharistan, page 2 |
| North Tokharistan, page 3 |


Bukhara/Western Soghd
(from the 4th century onward)


Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MRW (?)
Regnal year: none
31 mm.
4.30 gm. (approx.)
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse:
Reverse: Mint name to right (MRW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).
Note: Courtesy James A. Farr collection.


Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MRW (?)
Regnal year: none
30 mm.
4.11 gm.
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=25 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=2h
> Obverse:
Reverse: Mint name to right (MRW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).


Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
AR Drachm
Mint: MRW (?)
Regnal year: none
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157); Gobl Hunnen Em. 282
31 mm.
3.94 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=26 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran V; countermark at 10h.
Reverse: Altar with attendants. Mint name to right (MRW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).


Hunnic or Soghdian/Imitation of Varhran V (420 - 438 AD)
AR Drachm (North-Eastern Series)
Mint: MRW (?)
Regnal year: none
Mitchiner ACW 961 - 963; Gobl SN I/2 (plate IX/157); Gobl Hunnen Em. 282
30 x 31 mm.
3.79 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Imitative of Varhran V; Hunnic countermark at 1h.
Reverse: Mint name to right (MRW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


Hunnic/Imitation of Yazdgard II (438 - 457 AD)
AR Drachm
Mint: MRW (?)
Regnal year: none
30 x 31 mm.
3.79 gm.
Gobl SN I/1 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=26 mm.; diameter of reverse border=27 mm.
Die position=2h
Obverse:
Reverse: Mint name to right (MRW (?)=Merv in Khurasan). Pahlavi word to left (?).
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.


Anonymous/Ruler of Bukhara
AE Drachm (?)
circa 500 - 700 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate II, 7
18 mm.
1.61 gm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Bearless bust right.
Reverse: Fire altar; Sogdian legend.


Sogdian/Imitation of Yazdgard II (438 - 457 AD)
AR Drachm
circa 650 - 700 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate I, 8
29 mm.
2.36 gm. (25% chipped)
Die position=3h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Fire altar and attendants.


Anonymous (circa 735 - 750 AD)
AR Drachm
Frye ECT #6v.
25 mm.
3.12 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Sogdian legend Pwy'r ywB k'y 'King-Emperor of Bukhara'.
Reverse: Fire altar; bust right on altar. Stylized attendants to either side.
Note: Courtesy Robert W. Schaaf collection.


Anonymous (circa 735 - 750 AD)
AR Drachm
Frye ECT #6v.
24 mm.
2.96 gm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Sogdian legend Pwy'r ywB k'y 'King-Emperor of Bukhara'.
Reverse: Fire altar; bust left (!) on altar. Stylized attendants to either side.


Caliph al-Mahdi (circa 775 - 785 AD)
AR or Billon Drachm
Frye ECT #8
25 mm.
2.43 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Sogdian legend Pwy'r ywB k'y 'King-Emperor of Bukhara'.
Reverse: Fire altar; bust right on altar. Stylized attendants to either side.
Note: Courtesy Jamison T. Graff collection.


Caliph al-Mahdi (circa 775 - 785 AD)
AR or Billon Drachm
Frye ECT #8
25 mm.
2.44 gm.
Die position=10h
Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Sogdian legend Pwy'r ywB k'y 'King-Emperor of Bukhara'; Arabic legend 'al-Mahdi' behind head.
Reverse: Fire altar; bust right on altar. Stylized attendants to either side.


Caliph al-Amin (809 - 814 AD)
AR or Billon Drachm
Frye ECT #-
24 mm.
2.44 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Bust in the style of the Sasanian king Varhran V, right; Arabic legend.
Reverse: Fire altar; bust right on altar. Stylized attendants to either side.
Note: Last type of series.


The Kingdom of Choresmia
(from the 7th century onward)


Unidentified king/Kerder domain (?)
AE Drachm
circa 775 AD (?)
Mitchiner ECCA 72 types; Vainberg C V/9
25 x 24 mm.
3.08 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Bust of king with moustache right, wearing headdress surmounted by a crescent [Vainberg crown 6].
Reverse: Horseman right. Aramaic legend 'Lord King' (?).


Samarkand Sogd


'Goboziko'
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 32a (Iranian Huns Intermediate Group), Mitchiner ACW 1420v. (early Hephthalite coinage based on Kushano-Sasanian prototypes)
26 mm.
3.83 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Very stylized design imitative of Varhran IV (388 - 399 AD). Sogd tamgha and legend before face, 'Goboziko' (?) in Bactrian script; tamgha.
Reverse: Very stylized fire altar with four tamghas in border; two attendants.


Peroz imitation
AR Drachm
Gobl Hunnen Em. 287 type
28 x 27 mm.
3.99 gm.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Early imitation of Peroz I in the finest style; blundered Bactrian (?) legend. Sogd tamgha behind crown.
Reverse: Based on the reverse of Peroz' coins. Fire altar with two attendants. 5 pointed star to left; crescent to right. Altar has two sets of ribbons. Blundered Pahlavi 'm' to left; legend to right obscured by die break.


Anonymous/Ruler of Panjikent
AE Drachm (?)
circa 500 - 600 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate III, 17
21 mm.
2.94 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bearless bust facing 3/4 left.
Reverse: Tamgha.
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


Turhun (?)/Ruler of Samarkand
AE Drachm (?)
circa 700 - 710 AD
Zeimal 1994 plate III, 7; Smirnova 215-268 type
24 x 23 mm.
3.21 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Sogdian legend.
Reverse: Sogdian legend; tamgha.


Southern Sogd


'Great Ruler of the Tchao-ou Race'/Alram's 'Konig IV'
AE Drachm
80 - 250 AD
Mitchiner ACW 3351; Mitchiner ECCA 60; Alram 1233
16 x 17 mm.
1.72 gm. (chipped)
Die position= 12h
Obverse: Beardless bust left with long hair; Aramaic legend.
Reverse: Figure on left fighting lion standing on its hind legs.
Note: Courtesy Peter A. Linenthal collection.


Ustrushana


Chach


King of Chach/Asbar (?)
AE Drachm (?)
circa 500 - 600 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 2
18 mm.
3.44 gm.
Die position=2h
Obverse: Diademed bust left wearing very short two-pronged beard.
Reverse: Central tamgha; Sogdian legend around.


King of Chach/Asbar (?)
AE Drachm (?)
circa 500 - 600 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 3
18 mm.
2.23 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Diademed bust left wearing very short two-pronged beard.
Reverse: Central tamgha; Sogdian legend around.
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


King Tarnavch (?)
AE Drachm (?)
circa 650 - 750 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 8
20 mm.
2.24 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Galloping beast right (possibly snow leopard).
Reverse: Central tamgha or control mark; Sogdian legend'King Tarnavch' around.


King Tarnavch (?)
AE Drachm (?)
circa 650 - 750 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 8
20 x 19 mm.
2.22 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Galloping beast right (possibly snow leopard).
Reverse: Central tamgha or control mark; Sogdian legend'King Tarnavch' around.
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


King of Chach
AE Drachm (?)
circa 650 - 750 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 13
19 mm.
1.29 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Bearless bust facing 3/4 right.
Reverse: Central tamgha or control mark; Sogdian legend around.


King of Chach/Domain of Farnkat
AE Drachm (?)
circa 650 - 750 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 20
17 mm.
1.50 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bearless bust facing 3/4 left.
Reverse: Central tamgha or schematized fire altar; Sogdian legend around.


King of Chach/Domain of Farnkat
AE Drachm (?)
circa 650 - 750 AD (?)
Zeimal 1994 plate VI, 21
17 x 16 mm.
1.80 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bearless bust facing 3/4 right.
Reverse: Central tamgha or schematized fire altar; Sogdian legend around.
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


Semirech'e




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