LOCAL IMITATIONS OF TANG DYNASTY COINS IN THE MONETARY CIRCULATION OF SEMIRECHYE

Abstract

The main source for studying monetary circulation in Semirechye during the reign of the Karluks are numismatic finds. Bronze cast imitations of Tang Dynasty coins, which became widespread in the mid-9th and early 10th centuries, provide minimal information about the time and place of their production. The study was carried out first on the Semirechensk local imitations of coins of the Tang dynasty (330 copies), collected in the eastern part of the Chui Valley at the settlements of Ak-Beshim, Krasnaya Rechka, Shish-Tyube and Burana. The coins were visually divided according to the degree of degradation of the coin type. A comparative analysis of imitative coins from the indicated settlements and finds from the Taraz region was carried out. Several imitations of Turgesh coins are identified as varieties. Some imitate weighted coins with a runic "r" similar to the letter "M" visible on the reverse. Imitations of ordinary Turgesh samples have a round hole and a completely faded legend. Based on a statistical analysis of various types of imitations from the settlements of the Chui and Talas valleys, a conclusion is made that their release was initiated not by the state (centralized), but by the city authorities to meet the needs of local markets.