Sakastan in the Fourth and Fifth Century AD. Some Historical Remarks Based on the Numismatic Evidence

Summary

Abstract: This article discusses the Sasanian coinage from the region of Sakastan during the latter part of the 4^th and the 5^th century AD. Only through a comprehensive collection of material and a detailed re-evaluation of already examined coins was it possible to reconstruct a continuous series of Sakastan coins stretching from Ardashir II (379–383) to Wahram V (420–438). The implications of this numismatic evidence for our understanding of the history of Sakastan in this period are discussed in some detail, also taking into account further numismatic data from Eastern Iran.

Key words: Sasanian history, Sasanian numismatics, Sakastan, Eastern Iran.

Introduction

Having already dealt with the Sasanian mints in Khurasan during the 5^th century, a closer look at the neighbouring region of Sakastan not only completes the picture, but also – as I hope to be able to show – adds to the larger picture of Iranian and Eastern Iranian history in several respects. To separate the material presentation which, as it is, rests on a safe (even if small) material basis, represented by Sasanian coins, from the necessarily more hypothetical historical conclusions, I will first present and discuss the numismatic material available to me, and then consider what we can learn from it for our knowledge of Eastern Iran in the 4^th and 5^th centuries AD.

Sasanian issues from Sakastan in the 3rd and 4^th centuries

To understand the monetary history of Sakastan during the late 4^th and the 5^th century AD, a short overview on its numismatic role during the 3rd and 4^th century is advisable. With a very high degree of probability, we can state that Sasanian coins were first struck in Sakastan already under Ardashir I (224–241). Although unsigned, a group of drachms as well as large copper coins featuring an additional, unbearded bust on the obverses seems to belong to Sakastan. The main argument for this attribution is the chemical composition of the latter: it is similar to that of local issues of the Indo-Parthian ruler Farn-Sasan, and markedly different from Ardashir I's Western bronzes, as are the weights, which also show close similarities with Farn-Sasan's issues.