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1 Cash - Nanchu / Banchu Uncertain Sogdian mint, possibly Chach
| Issuer | Uncertain Sogdian mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 601-801 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central square hole occupying a substantial portion of the flan, with a single Sogdian word inscription positioned above the perforation in the upper field. The reverse is otherwise unadorned, with a plain, featureless field. The flan exhibits irregular edges and surface porosity typical of hammered base-metal coinage from the Sogdian region. The casting quality is characteristic of provincial Central Asian workshop production of the early medieval period. |
| Reverse script | Sogdian |
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| Additional information |
The so-called "Nanchu" or "Banchu" cash coins represent one of the more stubborn classification problems in Central Asian numismatics. Struck at an uncertain Sogdian mint — Chach being the strongest candidate given die parallels with confirmed Chach issues — these pieces circulated in a region where Tang Chinese monetary forms carried prestige far beyond China's actual political reach. Local Sogdian rulers adopted the cash format not through imperial decree but through commercial logic: the Silk Road demanded interoperable coinage.
The two-century attribution window reflects genuine scholarly disagreement, not cataloging laziness.