Islamic Coins

Lot 4146    SESSION 12 (11.30am Thurs 29 July)    Islamic Coins

Estimate $120
Bid at live.noble.com.au

HEPHTHALITE, silver drachm, as an imitation of Peroz, (ca.550-650 A.D.), 24 mm, (4.046 grams), obv. Sassanian-style bust right, derived from winged-type of Peroz, wearing winged skull-cap, no letter above, rev. altar with two attendants, crude barbarized inscriptions, both sides, Pre-Gujarat series, (cf.Mitchener ACW 1480). Very fine or better and rare.

These Hunnic imitations of Sassanian coins are known from a small number of specimens and are rarely seen for sale. This example has completely corrupt Pahlavi letters on obverse and reverse, and probably from the slightly later period of c.600 A.D. The Hephthalites or White Huns were a Central Asian nomadic confederation whose precise origins and composition remain obscure. They were called Ephthalites by the Huns, and Hunas by the Indians. They were mentioned by the Chinese and they displaced the Scythians and conquered Sogdiana and Khorasan before 425. After that, they crossed the Syr Darya (Jaxartes) River and invaded Persia. In Persia, they were initially held off by Bahram Gur but later around A.D. 483-85, they succeeded in making Persia a tributary state. After a series of wars in the period around A.D. 503-513, they were driven out of Persia and were completely defeated in A.D. 557 by Khosru I though their polity came under the Gokturks thereafter. The White Huns also invaded the regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan and succeeded in extending their domain to include the Ganges valley where this coin was made.