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Unknown Æ - Anonymous Nakhshab
| Issuer | Nakhshab, Principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | 401-550 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of a long-haired ruler facing right, rendered in a schematic Sogdian artistic style typical of Central Asian coinage of the period. A Sogdian inscription appears in the field before the effigy. The hair is depicted in long, flowing strands falling behind the neck, a characteristic feature of Nakhshab princely portraiture. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A figure facing right in a dynamic pose, thrusting a weapon downward to stab a lion standing before them. The scene is rendered in a bold, schematic style consistent with Sogdian bronze coinage of the early medieval period, evoking royal or heroic iconography common to Central Asian principalities. The dotted border frames the composition around the coin's irregular periphery. |
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| Additional information |
Nakhshab — the ancient city known today as Qarshi in southern Uzbekistan — operated as a semi-autonomous principality within the broader Kushano-Sasanian and Hephthalite orbit, issuing its own bronze coinage for local exchange when silver was either unavailable or politically inconvenient. Anonymous issues of this type present genuine attribution difficulties; the absence of a ruler name is not carelessness but likely reflects the administrative reality of a region cycling through overlords rapidly enough that dynastic claims on small bronzes were simply impractical.