“Romano-Sasanian” Imitations from India: Notes on Their Life Histories and the Indo-Sasanian Trade

Abstract

This paper discusses three extraordinary imitations from India the obverses of which are based on Roman issues while the reverses imitate Sasanian coins. These specimens are exceptional and puzzling for two reasons: the unique combination of obverse and reverse designs and the absence of genuine issues which could have been used as their reverse prototypes among finds from the territories they were made and used in. Employing the object biography paradigm for investigating the imitations provides a dynamic perspective on objects actively involved in social relationships. The role of those imitations in understanding the use of Sasanian coins in the Indian Ocean trade will be discussed as well.