Lot 163

Arab Sasanian, Dabuyads of Tabaristan, Sulayman (787-789 CE), Silver Hemidrachm, 2.04 gms, 23.84 mm, Tabaristan Mint, PYE 137 (788-9 CE), Obverse: Sasanian style bust imitating Khosrau II right, but with face replaced by a diamond bearing the Arabic word ‘bakh’ (transl. legal tender); Sulayman in Arabic to the right and Pahlavi APZWT to the left, with APD on the outer margin, Reverse: Fire altar flanked by attendants; date and mint in Pahlavi, Tabaristan, situated along the southern Caspian Sea, proved to be a formidable challenge for the advancing Muslim armies due to its rugged terrain, delaying its conquest until 761 CE. Under Islamic rule, Tabaristan continued to maintain a significant degree of autonomy. Its prosperity, fueled by lucrative trade routes with both Eastern and European regions, is evidenced by the discovery of its coins as far north as Denmark and Sweden, SIC Ashmolean # 436, Walker, Arab-Sassanian # 287, very fine, scarce.