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1 Hemidrachm Antiochos imitation, Samarqand
| Issuer | Samarqand (ancient) |
|---|---|
| Year | 201 BC - 101 AD |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hemidrachm (1/2) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stylized, schematically rendered horse's head facing right, depicted in a highly abstracted local artistic tradition derived from Seleucid prototypes. The bridle is indicated by simplified curved lines encircling the muzzle and cheek. The design is set within an irregular flan with a granular, corrugated border, characteristic of locally produced imitative coinage of the Sogdian region. The overall execution reflects a progressive debasement of the original Antiochid hemidrachm type, with naturalistic detail reduced to bold, schematic forms. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
These Samarqand imitations of Seleukid hemidrachms circulated in the Zerafshan valley long after Antiochene political authority had dissolved in the region, minted by local authorities who retained the Hellenistic monetary form as a convenience of trade rather than any acknowledgment of distant Greek kingship. The precise issuing hand remains debated — Sogdian dynasts, mercantile communities, and nomadic confederacies have all been proposed. The three-century attribution window reflects that uncertainty honestly.