Item number: A3640

Reference number: Smirnova#1387

Year: ca. AD 609-649

Material: Bronze

Size: 21.0 x 21.0 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 2.65 g

Manufactured by: Bukhara Mint

Provenance: Stephen Album Rare Coins 2025

This is a square-holed round coin that was most likely issued by King Zatak of Bukhara (or Anguo) in the Transoxiana region.

The coin follows the traditional form of the square-holed round coins used within the Sinosphere. The obverse bears Sogdian inscriptions that may be read as “𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐽂𐼰𐼸” (βγy zatak), “𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐼴𐽀𐼴𐽀” (βγy z’wrwr), or “𐼾𐽀 𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐼴𐽀” (pr βγy z’wr), interpreted respectively as “King Zatak” or “By the power of the ruler.” A casting sprue remains attached on the left side of the outer rim, and both the outer and inner rings exhibit rough filing marks with traces of residual metal. King Zatak is not recorded in Chinese historical sources, but his reign likely falls between that of King Sheliteng, who sent envoys to the Sui dynasty around AD 609, and King Helingjia, who dispatched an embassy to the Tang dynasty in AD 649.

Above the square hole appears a “℧”-shaped symbol, connected to the square inner rim bearing the “□”-shaped mark. Together with the “Ω”-shaped sign below the square hole, the three vertically aligned symbols form the tamga (Old Turkic: 𐱃𐰢𐰍𐰀), or tribal emblem, of Bukhara, which likely served as the city’s heraldic insignia.

An State was one of the Sogdian city-states, located in the western region of Transoxiana (modern southwestern Uzbekistan). In Tang sources it was considered one of the “Nine Surnames of Zhaowu” or “Nine Hu Surnames.” Its people often adopted their state name as a surname when residing in Chinese territory; the most famous example is An Lushan. Despite the name “Nine Surnames,” the confederation did not necessarily consist of exactly nine polities, nor was it ethnically homogeneous. The origins of the Sogdians may be traced back to remnants of the Greater Yuezhi, who, after their defeat by the Xiongnu, gradually assimilated with Turkic and other local peoples.

In AD 630, during the fourth year of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan reign, Tang generals Li Jing and Li Ji destroyed the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, increasing Tang influence in Central Asia. In AD 638, during Zhenguan 12, An State presented its first tribute to the Tang court. In AD 659, during Emperor Gaozong’s Xianqing 4, the Tang conquered the Western Turkic Khaganate, bringing the Zhaowu polities under nominal control and appointing the ruler of An as Prefect of Anxi Province, subordinated to the Anxi Protectorate. Leveraging their geographical position and commercial networks, the Sogdians actively engaged in Silk Road trade, establishing communities in Chang’an, Luoyang, and other centres, and gradually attaining influence within the Tang Empire’s military and administrative systems.

In AD 709, during Emperor Zhongzong’s Jinglong 3, the governor of Khurasan and general of the Umayyad Caliphate (then referred to in Chinese as the “White-robed Arabs”), Qutayba ibn Muslim, captured the An capital of Bukhara (then transliterated as Buhe), bringing about the state’s downfall.

物件編號: A3640

參考書目編號: Smirnova#1387

年代: 約公元 609-649 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 21.0 x 21.0 x 1.1 mm

重量: 2.65 g

製造地: 布哈拉

來源: 史蒂芬稀有錢幣專輯 2025

這是一枚應為河中地區安國的那塔克王所鑄的方孔圓錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面有粟特字母，可能為「𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐽂𐼰𐼸」(βγy zatak)或「𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐼴𐽀𐼴𐽀」(βγy z’wrwr)或「𐼾𐽀 𐼱𐼲𐼷 𐼵𐼰𐼴𐽀」(pr βγy z’wr)，譯為「那塔克王」、「札塔克王」或「憑藉君主之力」。外輪左側鑄柄未除，外輪與內廓皆磨鑢不精，餘有流銅。那塔克王漢籍未載，但應於公元609年間使隋的設立登王與公元649年使唐的訶陵迦王之間在位。

錢幕錢穿上方「℧」符號，與形狀為「□」符號的方穿內廓相接。再與錢穿下方符號「Ω」，三者豎列則共同組成布哈拉之塔木加(古突厥語：𐱃𐰢𐰍𐰀, tamga，突厥部族族徽傳統)，當為城徽。

安國為粟特城邦之一，位於河中西部地區(今烏茲別克西南部)，於唐代時人認為是「昭武九姓」或「九姓胡」的一支，其國人於漢境行走時常以國名為姓，著名者如安祿山。雖名「九姓」，但並非僅有九個政權，也大概並非單一民族組成。粟特人源流可能可以上溯至大月氏被匈奴擊滅後的殘部，於當地逐漸與突厥等民族相融。唐太宗貞觀四年(公元630年)，唐軍將領李靖、李勣攻滅東突厥汗國，唐廷對西域影響力漸增。貞觀十二年(公元638年)時安國首次入貢。唐高宗顯慶四年(公元659年)，唐滅西突厥，羈縻昭武九姓，封安國君主為安息州刺史，統歸安西大都護府管理。粟特人藉地利與商貿之便，往來於絲綢之路沿線，並於長安、洛陽等地建立社群，並逐漸於唐帝國的軍、政系統中取得一定地位。唐中宗景隆三年(公元709年)，伍麥亞王朝(時稱白衣大食)將領，呼羅珊總督屈底波·本·穆斯林征服安國都城捕喝(即布哈拉Bukhara古譯)，安國覆亡。