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1 Drachm - Anonymous Ruler Tokhara Yabghus, Hormazd IV imitation, deer and legends
| Issuer | Tokhara Yabghus (Tokharistan) |
|---|---|
| Year | 600-680 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Sasanian-style crowned bust of the ruler facing right, imitating the portrait type of Hormazd IV, rendered in the characteristic late Sasanian artistic tradition. A countermark depicting a Senmurv (mythological dog-bird creature) facing left is applied in an incuse punch, accompanied by an additional unclear countermark. A tamgha symbol of the Yabghus of Tokharistan appears below in the outer margin, serving as a dynastic identifier. The portrait retains the broad stylistic conventions of Sasanian royal imagery, including a diadem and elaborate crown form. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central fire altar of Zoroastrian type flanked by two standing attendants in the Sasanian tradition, closely imitating the reverse design of Hormazd IV drachms. A star and crescent appear flanking the altar flames, standard celestial symbols in Sasanian numismatic iconography. An unclear countermark is applied in the outer margin. The Bactrian mint name inscription appears in the margin, identifying the issuing mint as Balkh. The overall composition faithfully follows the prototype but shows the characteristic stylistic degeneration associated with post-Sasanian imitative coinage of the region. |
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| Additional information |
The Tokhara Yabghus occupied the former Kushano-Sasanian zone of Bactria following the collapse of the Western Turk Qaghanate's direct authority in the region, and their coin production was nakedly imitative — deliberately borrowing Sasanian monetary forms to ease acceptance in trade networks that still ran on Persian precedent. This piece copies the type of Hormazd IV, who reigned in Ctesiphon from 579 to 590 AD, long before this coin was struck. The deer substitution in the design is a Turkic intrusion into an otherwise Sasanian visual grammar, marking the point where local identity begins overwriting the template.