150
Napād I and Napad II (Kapāt)
1st Century AD
There is a large variety of types and sub-types of Napad coins. The two basic types have different reverses: 1). Star/Crescent symbol with in front a bust to the waist, to the left or to the right. The star can have four to six rays. A mostly unreadable legend is around the Bust/Crescent-Star symbol. The obol Type 611C-2 has no star in the crescent. These coins I attribute to Napad I. Die-axes: ↑↓; ↑→; based on only 2 coins. 2). No Star/Crescent symbol on the reverse but a bust to the left or to the right. The reverse bust has a flat, diademed hair. It is most probably Napad’s father, Nambed. The legend is often quite readable and in a square, which gradually degenerates into a circle. The legend can start at 5, 1 or 9 hrs. Coins with the second reverse type are attributed to Napad II. All Napad coins have on the obverse a bust in tiara to the left. The tiara has one to three rows of pearls around a dot, a dotted crescent or a plain crescent. The diadem knot can have several forms. The torque has two or three segments. There are several variations of the bust: it can be broad or narrow; the hair can fall to the shoulders, be of a wig-type with three or four prominent waves or bound in a large hair tuft in the neck. There can be an ear cover or no ear cover. The obverse can have a “halo” type of dotted rim. Sometimes there is symbol in the right or left field of the obverse. There is no legend on the obverse. Die axes of Napad II can be ↑↑, ↑↓, ↑→ or irregular. Napad II coins can be confused with coins of Vādfradād V. The best differentiating feature is the legend, which is long on Napad II coins (up to 19 characters) and short on Vādfradād V (± 10 characters).
Examples of diadem knots Type 1
Type 2
Type3
Type 4
Type 5
Type 6
Type 7
Legend on reverse of Napād type I and II (after Alram)
np’t MLK’ BRH nmwpt MLK’
Napad King son of Nambed King
.
150