This Tabaristan hemidrachm belongs to the Silk Road Hoard, a group of silver that moved through the trade routes of Caspian Persia more than 1,200 years ago. Tabaristan sat along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, where local governors kept striking coins in the old Sasanian style long after the Persian empire fell. The design is Zoroastrian, while the marginal legend is Arabic, so a single small coin records two faiths and two ruling cultures at once. Hoard coins like this one reach collectors with far better surfaces than pieces that circulated for decades.

The obverse carries a crowned bust in the Sasanian manner, with a winged headdress, beaded necklace and a pearled border framing the portrait. Pahlavi script runs beside the bust, and an Arabic legend sits in the outer margin with star and crescent ornaments at the edge. The reverse shows a Zoroastrian fire altar with flames rising from the top, flanked by two attendants who face outward. Both sides show bold detail, strong device definition and clear legends from a well-centered strike.

NGC Ancients graded this hemidrachm Choice About Uncirculated, the top tier below Mint State. The silver is bright and even, with only light rub on the crown and the altar flames, and the fields keep their original texture rather than the smoothing that long circulation leaves behind. Hoard provenance is noted right on the holder, which adds a documented source to an already sharp coin. A welcome addition to any collection of Persian, Islamic or Silk Road silver.

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780-793 AD Tabaristan Silver Hemidrachm Silk Road Hoard NGC Choice About Uncirculated