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1 Drachm - Anonymous Ruler Tokhara Yabghus, Hormazd IV imitation, legends
| Issuer | Tokhara Yabghus (Tokharistan) |
|---|---|
| Year | 600-680 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.57 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Pahlavi |
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| Reverse description | Fire altar flanked by two attendants standing in profile, a composition directly derived from Sasanian prototype reverses. A star and crescent appear flanking the flames rising from the altar, symbols of Zoroastrian and royal significance. A Bactrian script countermark reading 'phromo' is applied in the reverse margin, serving as an authentication or administrative mark of the Tokhara Yabghus authority. The mint signature BHL (Balkh) appears in the reverse field or margin, identifying the place of original prototype production. The overall style reflects the hybrid Sasanian-Bactrian artistic tradition prevalent in Tokharistan during the 7th century CE. |
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| Additional information |
The Tokhara Yabghus controlled Tokharistan — roughly modern northern Afghanistan and southern Tajikistan — as nominal vassals of the Western Türk Qaghanate while operating with considerable autonomy. Their coinage routinely imitated Sasanian prototypes, particularly issues of Hormazd IV, long after that king's death in 590. The practice was purely pragmatic: Sasanian silver had established trade credibility across Central Asia, and local rulers piggybacked on that recognition rather than imposing unfamiliar designs on merchants and tax collectors.
The degraded legends on these pieces accumulated errors across successive die generations, producing inscriptions increasingly remote from the original Pahlavi.