Central Asia. Soghd. Samarqand. Anonymous imitation of Antiochus issues (I – II cent. AD)
AR unit (0.40 g, 9.5 mm)
OBVERSE: bust left
REVERSE: archer, with bow & arrow
This anonymous silver unit imitating Antiochus I or II of the Seleucid Empire represent a fascinating continuation of Hellenistic iconography, long after the fall of Greek political power in the East. These coins typically feature a Hellenistic-style male bust on the obverse and an archer motif on the reverse—clearly influenced by Seleucid prototypes but rendered in a highly debased and localized style
Such imitations served not only as currency but also as a symbol of prestige and legitimacy for local rulers and city-states. They may have been struck by local authorities to facilitate trade with nomadic peoples and neighboring territories, or to assert cultural continuity with the Greco-Bactrian and Seleucid traditions
Their small size, crude execution, and silver content suggest they were intended for everyday circulation within the regional economy, possibly replacing or supplementing worn Seleucid and Greco-Bactrian coins still in use
Choice VF. RARE
References:
Z-251391 (similar coin)
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