Item number: A3574／A3587

Reference number: Göbl#cmk59 (A3574)

Year: circa AD 588-700 (A3574)／circa AD 589-700 (A3587)

Material: Silver

Size: 33.0 x 33.7 x 0.3 mm (A3574)／31.5 x 30.9 x 0.3 mm (A3587)

Weight: 3.6 g (A3574)／3.85 g (A3587)

Manufactured by: Balkh Mint

Provenance: Stephen Album Rare Coins 2025

This coin is a silver drachm, possibly issued by the Western Turkic Khaganate in imitation of the Sasanian coinage of Hormizd IV.

The obverse depicts a right-facing bust of Hormizd IV wearing a tall rounded crown. The crown would originally have borne a crescent supporting a flame or solar emblem, but this is in part concealed by a later countermark. The countermark appears to represent a left-facing portrait. On the left shoulder appears a sun symbol, and on the right shoulder a crescent. To the left of the crown is a star, while to the right is a star-in-crescent motif. Along the right-hand side of the bust, arranged vertically and to be read from the right (rotated 270 degrees), is the legend in Pahlavi script 𐭠𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭬𐭦𐭣 (‘wlmwzyd), which transliterates as “Hormizd.” The left-hand side bears the legend 𐭠𐭯𐭬𐭥𐭭 (‘pzwn), which may be translated as “prosperity,” apparently a laudatory formula or epithet. The central design is enclosed within a border of cable-pattern ornamentation, while three outward-facing star-in-crescent motifs are placed externally at the left, right, and below.

The reverse shows a Zoroastrian fire altar with fluttering ribbons attached to the shaft. Above the altar flames, the sun and crescent are depicted to the left and right respectively. Flanking the altar stand two attendants, each holding a long sword inverted with the point resting on the ground. To the right of the altar is the inscription 𐭡𐭦𐭠 (bl’), denoting “Balkh” as the mint of issue. The left-hand inscription is unclear, but normally records the regnal year of the ruling monarch; when inscribed with 𐭩𐭠𐭦𐭣𐭧 it specifies regnal year eleven. On the margin of the coin appears a countermark in Bactrian script reading ΦPOPO (Phroro), the meaning of which remains uncertain.

Hormizd IV, son of his predecessor Khosrow I, reigned from AD 579 to 590. During his rule, he continued his father’s fiscal and military reforms, including land surveys to broaden the tax base, reduction of burdens on the peasantry, and the creation of a professional army to replace the feudal levies of regional lords. In AD 588, the Western Turkic Khaganate, formerly an ally against the Hephthalites, turned hostile and invaded Khorasan, occupying Balkh, Talqan, Badghis, and Herat. In response, the Sasanian capital at Ctesiphon dispatched Bahram Chobin, a rising general of the reformed army, who by AD 589 recovered the lost territories. Shortly afterwards, Hormizd attempted to dismiss Bahram, provoking rebellion. Bahram revolted, while a palace coup at Ctesiphon deposed Hormizd in favour of his son, Khosrow II. Hormizd IV was killed, and Bahram entered Ctesiphon in AD 590, proclaiming himself Bahram VI. Khosrow II fled to the Byzantine Empire and secured the protection of Emperor Maurice.

The drachms of Hormizd IV minted at Balkh date to around AD 587–590, whereas the imitative drachms produced by the Western Turkic Khaganate are attributed to AD 588–589, when they occupied Balkh. The use of the “ΦPOPO” countermark is more typically found on coins dated between AD 650 and 700.

Tardu Qaghan succeeded as the Western Yabghu of the Turkic Khaganate around AD 576. In his early years, he directed campaigns primarily westwards, with only a single incursion against Suzhou under Northern Zhou. In AD 581, following the death of Taspār Qaghan, succession disputes fractured the khaganate, leading to internecine wars under the influence and investiture of the Sui dynasty. In AD 599, Tardu captured the central court of the Turks and proclaimed himself the universal khaghan. In AD 600, his campaign against the Sui failed, while the Tiele tribes rose in revolt. From AD 601, continuous warfare erupted between the Sui dynasty and Tardu Qaghan. By AD 603, his coalition with the Eastern Turkic tribes collapsed; Tardu himself fled into Tuyuhun and subsequently disappeared from the record, possibly dying around AD 610.

物件編號: A3574／A3587

參考書目編號: Göbl#cmk59 (A3574)

年代: 約公元 588-700 年(A3574)／約公元 589-700 年(A3587)

材料: 銀

尺寸: 33.0 x 33.7 x 0.3 mm (A3574)／31.5 x 30.9 x 0.3 mm (A3587)

重量: 0.6 g (A3565)／0.65 g (A3566)／0.35 g (A3567)

重量: 巴爾赫造幣廠

來源: 史蒂芬稀有錢幣專輯 2025

這是一枚可能由西突厥汗國，仿波斯薩珊王朝霍爾米茲德四世鑄幣，所造的1德拉克馬銀幣。

錢幣的正面是霍米茲德四世右側半身像，頭戴高聳的圓冠，圓冠上應有托舉火焰或太陽的新月，但有些被後來加蓋的戳印所遮掩。戳印似為左側肖像。半身像肩上左側有太陽，右側有新月圖樣，頭冠左側則是星辰，右側則是新月孕星圖樣。肖像右側由上至下，為右讀(旋轉270度)的缽羅婆文(或譯巴列維文，Pahlavi script)「𐭠𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭬𐭦𐭣」(‘wlmwzyd)，譯為「霍爾米茲德」，左側應為「𐭠𐭯𐭬𐭥𐭭」(‘pzwn)，譯為「繁榮」，大約為頌語或稱號。繩紋狀紋飾環繞幣圖，外側左、右、下方則各有一開口向外的星月孕星圖案。

背面是祆教拜火聖壇，中央壇柱飾有飛舞漂浮的緞帶，壇柱上方聖焰左右側各飾以太陽與新月。兩側各有一侍從，雙手倒持長劍柱地。幣圖右側有「𐭡𐭦𐭠」(bl’)，譯為「巴爾赫」，標示其製造地。左側文字不明，但一般為在位國王之紀年。有文字「𐭩𐭠𐭦𐭣𐭧」者標示為王曆十一年。幣緣則加蓋一戳，以巴克特里亞文鐫以「ΦPOPO」(Phroro)，涵義不明。

霍爾米茲德四世為前任霍斯勞一世之子，於公元579至590年間在位。期間延續其父的稅制與軍事改革，嘗試以土地調查擴增稅基，並減免基層的賦稅，同時以職業化的軍隊替代由各地封君所率領的地方軍隊。公元588年，原為對抗嚈噠的盟友之西突厥汗國，開始與薩珊王朝交惡，進兵呼羅珊地區，攻佔巴爾赫、塔拉坎、巴德吉斯、赫拉特等城。都城泰西封於是指派在軍事改革中逐漸嶄露頭角的將領巴赫拉姆·楚賓(Bahram Chobin)領兵反攻。公元589年奪還原領土。後霍爾米茲德四世因嘗試罷免巴赫拉姆而引發不滿，巴赫拉姆起兵叛亂，泰西封宮廷也發生政變，擁立其子霍斯勞二世即位，霍爾米茲德四世則被殺。巴赫拉姆則於公元590年控制泰西封，即位為巴赫拉姆六世，霍斯勞二世則逃往東羅馬帝國尋求莫里斯皇帝的庇護。

產於巴爾赫的霍爾米茲德四世德拉克馬，大約於公元587-590所造，而西突厥汗國於此所仿鑄的德拉克馬，則應為其占領巴爾赫期間的公元588-589年間所造。據稱加蓋「ΦPOPO」戳印的做法則多應用於約公元650至700的錢幣上。

達頭可汗於約公元576年繼位為突厥汗國西葉護，早年間多向西征伐，僅一次往攻北周肅州。隋文帝開皇元年(公元581年)突厥汗國可汗佗缽可汗逝世，因繼承權之爭而陷入分裂，在隋朝干涉與冊封下相互征伐。公元599年達頭可汗攻佔突厥王庭，宣稱為突厥共主。公元600年，達頭可汗往攻隋朝被擊退，同時鐵勒諸部起兵反抗。隋文帝仁壽元年(公元601年)起，隋朝與達頭可汗戰爭不斷。公元603年，達頭可汗麾下東突厥諸部崩潰，達頭可汗本人逃往吐谷渾後失蹤，可能於公元610左右逝世。