Moneta's Temple and Gallery

Mongols, The Great - Ghenghis Khan Gold Dinar

Moneta — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:22:00 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Great Mongols. Temp. Chingiz Khan (603-624AH / 1206-1227AD); AV dinar, 4.8 g. Style of Badakhshan mint. Clear date 618AH (in margins at 13 o’clock – 18 o’clock on the REVERSE). OBVERSE: “la ilah illa allah muhammad rasulu allah” (there is no deity except God, Muhammad is the messenger of God). Surat At-Tawbah, Verse 33, in margins REVERSE: “al-nasir al-din allah amir al-mu’minin” (al-Nasir al-Din Allah Commander of the faithful). Mint formula in margins: “bismillah ‘darb ha’da fi sana thaman ‘ashra sittmi’a” (in the name of God this was struck in the year eighteen six hundred) Choice XF to AU. Dated dinars of early Great Mongols’ issues are EXTREMELY RARE. Illustration purposes only, this coin is not physically in the Moneta Museum.

Mongol - Ghengis Khan dirhem

Moneta — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 12:39:53 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Purchased at auction from Frank Robinson (114 lot 362; $366), it was described as: MONGOLS, Genghis Khan, 1206-27 [AH 603 - 624], Billon Dirhem, AF/F-VF, one side somewhat off-center, minor weakness, silver color with some coppery toning. New information on the early series of Mongol coins during Chingis Khan [alt. spelling] is still coming out as new finds and scholarship allow. Like most coins of Genghis Khan this example does not bear his Tamgha, a personal symbol found on most later Mongol coins. This appears to be in the design known as a Ghazna type which refers to the Khan as "The Great of the Great Khagan." Thus it is one step lower than the very rare issues that quote his name but much scarcer than the vast majority that are anonymous. This is a dirhem due to the silver content, other coins with the same legend, that are copper, are generally known as jitals. I admit that these denomination terms seem to be interchangeable depending on who's writing about them. OB: Al Adil / Al Khagan / Al A'zam [The Great of the Great Khagan]; Rx; Name of the Abbaside Caliph in Bagdad. Album # 1969; Nyamaa # 5. The following is from Steve Album's "Checklist" [2nd ed.]: The Great Mongols, Chingiz Khan and his descendants, were not Muslims, but struck Islamic style coinage in the Muslim lands they conquered. They had no indigenous coinage, but some Mongol rulers had earlier produced Chinese style cash in parts of northern China they had occupied [Liao Dynasty]. As a general rule, they adopted the local currencies in each conquered area, changing only the inscriptions to suit the new political order. THE TEXT BELOW REFERS TO JITALS, BASE METAL Fractionals of the Dirhem Above: Most early Mongol coinage is anonymous, except for mention of the caliph. Each mint or group of adjacent mints maintained its own types and standards. Only the gold coinage is normally dated and often bears the mint name. The silver and copper coinage is usually undated, and some types are only conjecturally assigned to the Mongols... further... Silver full dirhams were struck in both eastern Khurasan (especially Ghazna, Balkh & Herat), and in the Transcaucasian regions of the northwest (especially Tiflis and Tabriz), alongside half dirhams from the later region. ... Base metal jitals were struck only in eastern Khurasan and Sind, and often contain considerable amounts of lead and zinc in addition to copper. From Steve Album [ Internet Auction 18 Lot# 475 Jital ] : GREAT MONGOLS: Chingiz Khan, 1206-1227, AE jital (4.07g) (Ghazna), ND, A-3713 (1969), Tye-329, anonymous type with title al-khaqan al-'adil al-a'zam on obverse, and citing the 'Abbasid caliph al-Nasir on reverse., VF. This and other jitals of the period probably contain a small amount of silver and may also have had a very light silver-wash. This type is the only coin that is reasonably common and can be securely assigned to the lifetime of Genghis Khan, though of course, without his name. This type is believed to have been struck AH618-619 (1221), during the Mongol chase of Mangubarni to the Indus River, when a Mongol military base was established at or near Ghazna. Early Medieval & Islamic ISLAMIC, Mongols. Great Khans. temp. Chingiz (Genghis), AH 602-624 / AD 1206-1227. Jital (Bronze), citing Chingiz as 'al-Khaqan al-Adil al-Azam ('Khan of Khans, the Just, the Supreme' in Arabic) and the Abbasid caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah (1180-1225), Mongol military base around or in Ghazna, AH 618 = AD 1221. Album # 1969. This type was struck during the Mongol chase of Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, the last of the Khwarezm Shahs, to the Indus River. Jalal was defeated decisively in spring 1221 in the "Battle of the Indus", but to Genghis' great disappointment, the Shah escaped to India. He remained a constant thorn in the Mongols' side until he was assassinated by an unknown Kurd in the Mayyafarikin mountains in 1231. [ Leu Numismatik; Web Auction 14; Lot: 2009 ; Date: 12.12.2020 ]

Mongol Golden Horde - Jani Beg dirham, 1347 A.D.

Moneta — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 15:42:24 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: The Golden Horde, over which Jani Beg ruled (AH 742 - 757; or 1342 - 1357 A.D.) consisted of two sub-hordes the Blue and the White. He directly ruled the Blue Horde that ran it's raiding and pillaging operations in Rus (Russia) and into Lithuania and Crimea. His common and lasting fame came from his time in the Crimea. Jani Beg commanded a massive Crimean Tatar force that attacked the Crimean port city of Kaffa in 1343. The siege was lifted by an Italian relief force in February. In 1345 Jani Beg again besieged Kaffa; however, his assault was again unsuccessful due to an outbreak of the Black Plague among his troops. Jani Beg's army catapulted infected corpses into Kaffa in an attempt to use the Black Death to weaken the defenders. Infected Genoese sailors subsequently sailed from Kaffa to Genoa, introducing the Black Death into Europe. The Black Death, also known as the Pestilence and the Great Mortality, was the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history. The Black Death resulted in the deaths of up to 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351. Plague, the disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was the cause; Y. pestis infection most commonly results in bubonic plague. History likes to pin this horrendous death toll on Jani Beg's actions but there is no doubt that the Plague would have traveled to Europe without his catapult action. He did cause the Genoese to sail to the Crimea though. Therefore he could be called the greatest mass murderer in history. [Wikipedia] Obverse Translation: Sultan the Just Jani-Beg Khan Reverse Translation: Minted in Saray al-Jadida (742 - 747) Album # 2027 Sagdeeva # 231 Fren# 79

Umayyad Dirham - 'Abd al-Malik Bin Marwan

Moneta — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 16:51:04 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: This is an early example of an Early Post-Reform silver Dirham (Dinar) issued by 'Abd al-Malik Bin Marwan (65-86 AH or 685 -705 AD). I believe this example is from 79 - 80 AH so it's from just a few years after the typical Post-Reform types were first struck in 77AH. All are carefully minted but ruler names are not part of the legend. However, the date is always present so the ruler can be determined from the date in most cases. This is Album Checklist # 126; 2.83 g & 22 mm. Obverse center legend: لا اله الا الله وحده لا شرك له There is no Diety except | (the one) God alone | He has no equal Obverse margin Legend (date here is an example): بسم الله ضرب هذا الدرهم بواسط في سنة ثلث و تسعين In the name of God. This Dirham was struck in Wasit in the year three and ninety Reverse center legend: الله احد الله الصمد لم يلد و لم يولد و لم يكن له كفوا احد God is One God | The eternal and indivisible, who has not begotten, and | has not been begotten and never is there | His equal Reverse margin legend: محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون Muhammad is the messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to reveal it to all religions even if the polytheists abhor it.

1 comment

Arab-Byzantine Follis - 3 Figures Type

Moneta — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:05:05 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: At the advent of Islam, Arabia for the most part had a very limited numismatic history of its own. The past local coinage seems to be limited to that of the Sabaeans, the Himyarites, the Nabataens, and Rome's Provencia Arabia. However, by Muhammad's birth, these were already centuries old. It is generally agreed that in the 7th century AD, Arabia was mostly still a trade-barter society. What little need the local populace had of coinage was sufficiently fulfilled by the then current coinage of the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires. Even after establishing the first Islamic state in AD 622, the Muslims did not institute a coinage of their own. This remained true for Arabia through the end of the Orthodox Caliphate and the early part of the Umayyad rule. As the Arabs spread out and conquered the surrounding lands, all that they really brought with them was the message of Islam. In most cases, the local political and economic infrastructure was left intact. As long as the non-Muslims of the conquered lands paid a Poll-Tax, not much had to be changed. The conquered lands of the Byzantine and Sassanian realms had a rich numismatic history, however, and the use of officially minted coinage had an important place in commerce. To maintain the economic viability, the Arabs continued the previously existing minting operations there - issuing coins from captured Byzantine and Sassanian dies, and then slowly adding new elements to the replacement dies. The first changes were subtle; adding "tayyib" (good) in the recently evolved Kufic script on Byzantine style copper coinage, or short and simple religious statements such as "Bismillah" (with the Name of Allah) on the margins of Sassanian coinage. These changes further evolved as the mint names were duplicated in Arabic in the western lands and the governors added their name on coins in the east. Islamic coinage evolving from these styles are today called Arab-Byzantine or Arab-Sassanian coins, based on the originally borrowed style. This example is 22.4 mm and 5.08 Grams. This 3 Figures type is not shown in Totten, but it is a Byzantine type folles. More research needed. Examples in very good shape command high collector prices. This is a sub-$30 coin, the central figure's face is hilarious! VIEW or DOWNLOAD: Early Islamic Coins - Totten: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg05khw1txcy6y7/Early%20Islamic%20Coins%20-%20Totten.pdf?dl=0

1 comment

Arab-Sasanian - Salm b. Ziyad

Moneta — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 12:48:10 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: AR silver Drachm of Salm b. Ziyad circa AH 61-65 (680-684 A.D.). This coin is a main type of the Pre-Reform coinage. Coins were struck in the name of this governor until the year AH70, five years after is deposition, for reasons that are still undetermined, but undoubtedly tied to the three-way struggle between the Zubayrids, the Umayyads and the Ephthalites. His coins were mainly struck at mints in Khorasan. Album A-18, 3 pellets at obverse bottom (x2), Scarce VF+ (S. Album) Salm. b. Ziyad, ca. 680-685, AR drachm (3.8g), MRWRWT (Marw-Rud), year 8, A-18, finest style, clearly a regular Arab issue and not an Hephthalite imitation, nive VF+, RRRR. Salm was governor in Khorasan AH61-64/65, and returned to Basra, where he remained until his death in AH73. The meaning of the date TWMNAH ( "8 ") is obscure. It could refer to year 8 or some sort of recognition in opposition to his replacement 'Abd Allah b. Khazim, or an abbreviation of AH68 by the same issuer.

1 comment

Nezak Huns - Vasudeva

Moneta — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 12:18:51 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Part of the Hunnish Tribes associated with "White Huns", often grouped with coins of the Indian Subcontinent. This coin is a silver Drachm of VASUDEVA (ca. 720 A.D.) with gold plug is from the mint of Zabistan or Sistan. Often the gold plug is missing. This gold plug may have been incorporated to ensure value or prevent counterfeiting. These were of a similar design issued by Sasanians of Persia. OB: Bust right, wearing crown with two wings, surmounted by lion's head; Rx: Fire Altar (Zoroastrian) with ribbon, two attenants are flanking the altar, star and crescent flank the flames of the altar. REF: Gogl Em.244 (Sahi Tigin or Tegin); Sunrise # 1037. Choice Good VF, toned 3.20 g.; 32mm. Another reference refines the description: Nezak (Nspk) Huns Kingdom of Zabul Vakhu (Vasu)-Deva, Sub-ruler of Shahi Tigin Circa 720-738 AR Drachm. Sasanian style bust right, imitating Ardashir III; Brahmi legends in fields, Sogdian (ie. 'Baktrian') legend around rim, thunderbolt countermark on bust. Two horned attendants flanking fire altar, crescents above; Pahlevi legend in fields, Sogdian legend around. Göbl (Huns) Em. 244. Rare. This type hails from well within the Arab-Sasanian era, where similar types were coined by the Arab-Ephthalites. The Nezaks or other Turkic Huns remained non-Islamic and competed with the neighboring Arabs for domination. The personage portrayed here is definitely not Shahi Tigin (more accurately Kagin), although the bust is formalized. The ruler's name on obverse is 'Sri Vajara Vakhudevah' in Brahmi, and KOGONO appears on the reverse in Sogdian script.

ARMENIA (KINGDOM)~AR Bilingual Tram 1236-1245 AD

Zantetsuken — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 16:30:03 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

Description: Under King: Hetoum I. Obverse depicts King Hetoum I mounted on horseback holding a staff, with his name and title in Armenian text. The reverse depicts in Arabic text the name and title of Kaykhusraw from the Seljuq tribe. *VERY RARE*

Seljuk of Rum - Kaykhusraw II Dinar of Konya 1240 A.D.

Moneta — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:11:49 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Kaykhusraw II Dinar (dirham) - minted in Konya - Anatolia AH 639 - 641 (1240 - 1243 A.D.). Sun in the House of Leo design. Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II (Persian) Kaykhusraw bin Kayqub) was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rum from 1237 until his death in 1246. He ruled at the time of the Babai uprising and the Mongol invasion of Anatolia. He led the Seljuq army with its Christian allies at the Battle of Kose Dag in 1243 AD. He was the last of the Seljuq sultans to wield any significant power and died a vassal of the Mongols. Between 638 and 641 A.H. (ca. 1240-1243) a series of remarkable silver dirhams were struck in Kaykhusraws name at Sivas and Konya depicting a lion and sun. While coins with images are not unknown in Islamic lands, particularly in the centuries following the Crusades, some Islamic traditions forbid representations of living things. Several explanations of the lion and sun have been offered. One suggests that the images represent the constellation Leo, the astrological sign of Kaykhusraw's beloved Georgian wife Tamar. Another says that the lion represents Kaykhusraw and the sun Tamar.

3 comments

White Huns - Hephthalite

Moneta — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 08:51:17 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: HEPHTHALITE, c. 475-576 AD, bust R with bull head crown, Napki Malka in Pahlavi / fire altar, Kabul/Zabul region. Here the reverse photo is upside-down.

ARMENIA (BARONIAL)~AE Pough 1187-1198 AD

Zantetsuken — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 19:50:40 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

Description: Under Baron: Levon II. Levon governed as the last baron of Cilician Armenia before being coronated as king in 1198. Following this, he took the name Levon I. *VERY RARE*

ARMENIA (BARONIAL)~AE Pough 1080-1095 AD

Zantetsuken — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 19:46:04 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

Description: Under Baron: Roupen I. *VERY RARE*

CYPRUS (KINGDOM)~AR Gros 1326-1359 AD

Zantetsuken — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:01:11 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

Description: Under King: Hugh IV

GEORGIA (RUSSIAN OCCUPATION)~1 Bisti 1787

Zantetsuken — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:04:38 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

1 comment

GEORGIA (VASSAL)~2 Abazi 1816

Zantetsuken — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:03:21 -0700

by: Zantetsuken

1 comment

Jujid AE pul, The Hare, NM, ND

jumanji — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:06:37 -0800

by: jumanji

Very interesting, Jujid AR dang of Toqtu, Ukek

jumanji — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:38:42 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dang, Timur-Hodja, Sarai al Jadid, 762 A.H.

jumanji — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:33:00 -0800

by: jumanji

1 comment

Jujid AR dang, Aziz Sheykh, Gulistan, 766 A.H.

jumanji — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:40:19 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Nurijan, 762 A.H.

jumanji — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:04:14 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dirhem, Lion with the sun, Toqtu, Sarai

jumanji — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:24:30 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dirhem, Toqtu, Ukek (Year of the cow)

jumanji — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:16:52 -0800

by: jumanji

Description: Name of the Khan and Year of the cow in Mongolian-Uighur scripts.

Chaghatayid AR 1/6 dinar, anonymous, temp.Tarmashirin, Otrar

jumanji — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:47:40 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Khyzr, Gulistan, 762 A.H.

jumanji — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:04:45 -0800

by: jumanji

Description: Type with the knot of happiness.

Jujid AE pul, Janibek, Bazjin, 753 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:44:37 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Kildibek, Azaq, 763 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:35:15 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Lion with the sun, Sarai, MD

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:30:37 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Garuda, Sarai al Jadid, ND

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:26:49 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Chimera, NM, ND

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:22:51 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Bracteate, Sarai al Jadid, 76x A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:16:53 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, local imitation of Janibek's pul

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:10:53 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Flower, Sarai al Jadid, MD

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:09:36 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul. Janibek II, Lion, Majar

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:01:25 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Nurijan, ND

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:45:48 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dang, Janibek, Sarai al Jadid, 75x A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:45:09 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dang, Janibek, Sarai al Jadid, 74x A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:43:56 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dang, Berdibek, Gulistan, 759 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:42:36 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Flower, Sarai al Jadid, MD

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:15:47 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, 2 birds, Hajji Tarkhan, ND

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:55:44 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Cat, Gulistan, 764 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:54:40 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Cat, Gulistan, 764 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:44:37 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Cat, Gulistan, 764 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:40:49 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Eagle, Sarai al Jadid

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:33:58 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Sarai al Jadid, 75x A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:30:56 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Flower, Sarai al Jadid, 752 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:30:00 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Flower, sarai al Jadid, 75x A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:23:53 -0800

by: jumanji

Description: Type #1

Jujid AE pul, Khyzr, Sarai al Jadid, 762 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:19:48 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AR dang, Kulpa, Gulistan, 760 A.H.

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:16:01 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Cherkesbek, Hajji Tarkhan, MD

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:08:17 -0800

by: jumanji

Jujid AE pul, Mokhshi, MD

jumanji — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:49:38 -0800

by: jumanji

Description: Jujid AE pul, Mokhshi, MD