1 Cash - Vuzurg Samarqand, with hole

Samarqand in the mid-seventh century was caught between the dying Sasanian Empire and the rapid westward advance of the early Islamic Caliphate. These cash-type bronzes with central holes reflect the persistent influence of Chinese monetary conventions filtering through the Sogdian trade network — Samarqand sat at the commercial crossroads linking Tang China with the Iranian world. The specific designation "Vuzurg Samarqand" identifies the issuing authority as the great lord of Samarqand, a Sogdian ruler operating under increasing military pressure from Arab forces that would take the city definitively by 712.