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Debased Scyphate Dinar - Adomano
| Issuer | Alchon Huns (Hunnic tribes) |
|---|---|
| Year | 545-600 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Concave (Scyphate) |
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| Obverse description | Frontal bust of the ruler Adomano depicted in high relief at centre, wearing an elaborate crown surmounted by a crescent and globe finial, characteristic of late Hunnic royal iconography. The figure is shown in three-quarter or frontal stance with drapery rendered in stylised parallel folds. Flanking the bust are Brahmi inscriptions in the left and right fields identifying the issuer. The overall composition reflects a debased imitation of Sasanian coin types, adapted to Alchon Hunnic royal imagery, struck on a concave scyphate flan by the hammered technique. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Alchon Huns occupied the former Gupta territories of northwestern India from roughly the mid-fifth century, and their coinage evolved in direct response to that conquest — early issues closely imitated Gupta gold dinars, then progressively degraded in fineness as the dynasty's political control fragmented under sustained Turkic and early Chalukya pressure. By the late sixth century, gold content in these scyphate issues had fallen dramatically, reflecting both depleted bullion access and a minting administration that was, by most interpretations, operating without central coordination.
Göbl Hun#85 places this piece in the latest phase of Alchon production, after the dynasty had effectively lost control of its core Gandharan territories.