Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 34 12 Jun 2019
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Islamic Coins, Arab Hephthalite, Yazid bin al-Mahallab bin Abi Sufra, Governor of Khurasan (c. 82-85h/701-704 CE), silver drachm, Anbir, 84h, 32.00mm, wt. 3.45gms., extremely fine, perhaps the most attractive example of the series and of the highest rarity
This is a unique design for an Arab Hepthalite drachm which, while it resembles those of the earlier Arab Sasanians, has many distinctive features of its own. The individual named on the coin is the Hephthalite governor of Khurasan, Yazid bin al-Mahallab bin Abi Sufra (c. 82-85h/701-704 CE), who succeeded his father, al-Muhallab bin Abi Sufra. Unlike other drachms issued by any Arab Sasanian governor before, this trilingual coin, whose legends are in Hephthalite, Pahlawi and Arabic, bears the words darb jizya bi'l Juzjan ('struck for tribute - jizya - in Juzjan'). This tribute would have been delivered to al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf, Viceroy of the East. It is altogether likely, however, that this gesture failed to please al-Hajjaj, and that he may have been enraged by Yazid's daring at placing his own name on a tribute coin, for Yazid was dismissed from office in 85h, a year after it was struck. The coin was minted in NoAnbir, the capital of the province of Juzjan in western Afghanistan, in the year 84h (703 CE). Anbir lay at a strategic point on the Silk Road near the Oxus River where important silver mines were located. As a result, the Muslims were determined to gain control over the region from the Hephthalites.
The bust on the obverse is the same as it would have been on a coin of Khusraw II, but the shape of the ruler's helmet is quite different. The reverse, however, differs considerably. Instead of showing the fire altar with two attendants usually found on Sassanian coins, it bears the image of a military officer in full armour, which gives us an accurate idea of the kind of armour and weapons that would have been used by a Muslim commander in the first century of the Hijra. Rather than the plate previously worn, he wears chain mail which reaches down to his knees, boots and a helmet, with a spear in one hand and a sword in the other. Because the weight of the armour is borne by the wearer's shoulders, it is fastened by a strong belt to pull it in and take off some of the weight.
There are fewer than five examples recorded of this exceptionally rare issue. This one bears two Hephthalite countermarks in the obverse margin at 10 and 2 o'clock.
(100000-125000 GBP)
This is a unique design for an Arab Hepthalite drachm which, while it resembles those of the earlier Arab Sasanians, has many distinctive features of its own. The individual named on the coin is the Hephthalite governor of Khurasan, Yazid bin al-Mahallab bin Abi Sufra (c. 82-85h/701-704 CE), who succeeded his father, al-Muhallab bin Abi Sufra. Unlike other drachms issued by any Arab Sasanian governor before, this trilingual coin, whose legends are in Hephthalite, Pahlawi and Arabic, bears the words darb jizya bi'l Juzjan ('struck for tribute - jizya - in Juzjan'). This tribute would have been delivered to al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf, Viceroy of the East. It is altogether likely, however, that this gesture failed to please al-Hajjaj, and that he may have been enraged by Yazid's daring at placing his own name on a tribute coin, for Yazid was dismissed from office in 85h, a year after it was struck. The coin was minted in NoAnbir, the capital of the province of Juzjan in western Afghanistan, in the year 84h (703 CE). Anbir lay at a strategic point on the Silk Road near the Oxus River where important silver mines were located. As a result, the Muslims were determined to gain control over the region from the Hephthalites.
The bust on the obverse is the same as it would have been on a coin of Khusraw II, but the shape of the ruler's helmet is quite different. The reverse, however, differs considerably. Instead of showing the fire altar with two attendants usually found on Sassanian coins, it bears the image of a military officer in full armour, which gives us an accurate idea of the kind of armour and weapons that would have been used by a Muslim commander in the first century of the Hijra. Rather than the plate previously worn, he wears chain mail which reaches down to his knees, boots and a helmet, with a spear in one hand and a sword in the other. Because the weight of the armour is borne by the wearer's shoulders, it is fastened by a strong belt to pull it in and take off some of the weight.
There are fewer than five examples recorded of this exceptionally rare issue. This one bears two Hephthalite countermarks in the obverse margin at 10 and 2 o'clock.
(100000-125000 GBP)