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6 Zhu - Gurgamoa Posthumous
| Issuer | Khotan Kingdom (Central Asia (ancient)) |
|---|---|
| Year | 101-301 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a Chinese inscription executed in Han Dynasty seal script, arranged in the traditional manner of contemporary Chinese cash coinage. The numeral six (六) appears prominently above the remaining characters, denoting the denomination. The legend reads Liu Zhu Qian, identifying this as a six-zhu coin in accordance with the Han monetary system then prevailing in the region. The die work is relatively crude compared to metropolitan Han issues, consistent with a peripheral or imitative production context. The field is plain with no additional decorative elements. |
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| Reverse lettering | 六銖銭 (Translation: Liu Zhu Qian (6 zhu coin)) |
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| Additional information |
The Gurgamoa posthumous series is among the most puzzling coinages of the Silk Road oases. Khotan's coinage tradition blended Chinese cash-coin formats with Kharoshthi script — a marriage of Han administrative influence and the Indic cultural sphere that defined the kingdom's position as a transit node between two worlds. These posthumous issues were struck for an unknown duration after Gurgamoa's reign, suggesting the name carried enough dynastic authority to anchor monetary credibility long after the ruler himself was gone.
Cribb's typology for Khotan remains the foundational reference, with the #2/5 designation placing this among the bilingual copper issues that predate later Sino-Kharoshthi types more familiar to collectors.