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Unknown Æ - Asbar Bukhara Sogd
| Issuer | Bukhara Sogd (ancient) |
|---|---|
| Year | 450-501 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The distinctive tamgha of Bukhara — a complex, symmetrical dynastic emblem with radiating scroll-like arms arranged around a central pellet — occupies the central field. The tamgha is rendered in bold, deeply cut relief with curvilinear elements typical of Sogdian iconographic convention. A Sogdian inscription encircles the device within a beaded border, naming the ruler. The overall design is highly stylised and closely parallels other known Bukharan Sogdian issues of the same period. |
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| Reverse lettering | xwb `sbr (Translation: Ruler Asbar) |
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| Additional information |
The Bukhar Khudahs — the local dynastic rulers of Bukhara — issued this type during a period when the Kidarite and then Hephthalite powers were pressing hard across Sogdia, forcing regional authorities into uneasy tributary relationships while still maintaining enough autonomy to strike their own coinage. The Æ issues attributed to this phase are catalogued by Zeimal in his foundational work on Transoxianian numismatics, which remains the primary reference framework for distinguishing the dense and poorly-understood sequence of Bukharan types.
Attribution to a specific ruler is not possible for most pieces in this series given the absence of legible Sogdian inscriptions on many survivors.