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1 Drachm Peroz I imitation, Kobadien, countermark types: 1 / 2
| Issuer | Kobadien tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 501-601 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Degraded imitation of a Sasanian royal bust facing right, derived from the prototype of Peroz I, set within a beaded inner circle. The effigy retains vestiges of the characteristic Sasanian crown with globular ornaments and wing-like elements, though rendered in a schematic, barbarous style consistent with post-Sasanian Central Asian imitative coinage. A countermark of Alchon Hunnic type is applied to the left field, partially overlapping the bust. The surrounding field is worn and uneven, reflecting the irregular flan characteristic of locally produced billon issues. A partially legible Bactrian legend runs along the lower margin of the inner circle. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ALCHOON (Translation: Alchono (Alchon Huns)) |
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| Additional information |
Kobadien was a minor principality in the Tokharistan region, and these imitative drachms were struck by local tribal authorities who had absorbed Sasanian monetary conventions without direct political connection to the Sasanian court. The prototypes copy issues of Peroz I, who died in 484 AD during the catastrophic Hephthalite campaign at the Battle of Herat — a defeat so total that it left the Sasanian treasury depleted and Sasanian influence in Bactria effectively collapsed, opening the space these imitative coinages rushed to fill.
The billon composition reflects a deliberate debasement from the silver standard of the prototypes, typical of secondary minting authorities working without controlled bullion supply. The countermark types are the primary diagnostic tool for attribution within the series.