Catalog
Unknown Æ - Anonymous Nakhshab
| Issuer | Nakhshab, Principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | 401-550 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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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. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Sogdian |
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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.