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1 Drachm Peroz I imitation, Uncertain Sogdian mint, Northern Tokharistan, 2 countermarks, types 1 and 3
| Issuer | Uncertain Sogdian mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 501-601 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Degraded bust of the Sasanian king Peroz I facing right, depicted wearing an elaborate winged crown surmounted by a crescent and globe, rendered in the schematic, flattened style characteristic of Sogdian imitative coinage. The effigy is surrounded by a beaded border. Two countermarks are applied in the field: a rectangular countermark of type 1 at the left, bearing a stylized Sogdian tamgha device, and a second countermark of type 3 visible at the upper right, also struck over the existing design. The overall workmanship is cruder than the Sasanian prototype, reflecting local Central Asian die-cutting traditions. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (501-601) |
| Additional information |
Peroz I Sasanian drachms circulated so widely across Central Asia after his death in 484 that local Sogdian and Tokharistani authorities continued striking imitations for well over a century, long after the Sasanian prototype had become a historical artifact rather than a current issue. The two countermarks punched into this piece represent successive revalidations — each one a local authority asserting acceptance, or restricting circulation to a specific valley or trade node along the routes feeding into Bactria.
Type 1 and Type 3 countermark combinations on Northern Tokharistan issues have been catalogued by Göbl and subsequently refined through the Zeno database, but attribution to a specific mint within the region remains genuinely unresolved.