Walking Back In Time From 1600 To Antiquity By Decades (V3.0)

Wow! Great start. I think I am out this decade, but nice that we are moved along with the first coin

Nice to see some Chinese coins. I have trouble identifying many of these so it's useful to have them in a chronological post.


I have this same coin. It was struck by the (anonymous) malik of Kurzuwan while under siege by Genghis Khan. This (Rabi II) is the earlier date - there's another with the later date of Jumada I. That one is rarer, because the siege didn't end well for the malik. Ghengis Khan completely destroyed the city and slaughtered the population.

Malik of Kurzuwan Jital, June-July 1221 (AH618 Rabi II)

Kurzuwan. Bronze, 19mm, 3.7g. Arabic inscription around margin with date and month; in center the name of king. Mint and Kalima in four lines (A 1971).

Here's yet another attributable to 1221. It's from the other side in the siege of Kurzuwan.

Al-Nasir (the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad, possibly mentioned on the obverse) asked Genghis Khan to weaken the Khwarazmian Empire. He annihilated it. Ghazni was destroyed by Genghis's son Ögedei.

Genghis Khan Jital, 1221

Ghazna (Afghanistan). Billon, 17mm, 4.2g. Al-Nasir Ud-din Allah, amir al-muminin (leader of the faithful). Adl Khaqan al-Azam (coin of the Great Khan) (Album 1969).

This is by far the cheapest coin securely dated to Genghis's lifetime. It was struck in 1221 when the Mongols set up a base near Ghazna, while chasing Jalal al-Din Mangburni (the last Khwarazmshah) to the Indus River.

Cilician Armenia was an interesting place with great coins. I even have a couple of bronzes and they don't otherwise fit into my collection at all.

This is my last for the decade and for the Mongols. Chronologically, it's after my previous two coins but it's anonymous and the date isn't known, so it gets a wide range based on the Abbasid caliph named, al-Mustansir (1226-1242). Even then, that might be wrong as according to Stephen Album it could be posthumous.

Ögedei Khan (1229-1241) was Ghenghis Khan's successor. He 'pacified' much of the Khwarazmian Empire for his father, including Ghazni (now in Afghanistan, where my last coin was struck) and Urgench (now in Turkmenistan). I've been to the ruins of Konye-Urgench ('Old Urgench') and although Timur also had a go at levelling it, there are a few structures and a tall minaret still standing.

Dirham from the time of Ögedei, AH624-639/AD1227-1241

Khorasan. Silver, 14mm, 3.2g. Caliph al-Mustansir. Be-qovvat-e aferidegar-e 'alam (A 1978K).

It's one of the first Islamic precious metal coins with a Persian legend, and reads 'By the power of the creator of the world' (with undertones of 'By the power of Grayskull').

Just in time to throw in this one then

France 1223-50, denier tournois, Louis VIII or Louis IX. Silver, 0.94 g, 19 mm. Duplessy 187, Lafaurie 195, Roberts 2406.

Louis VIII reigned only 1223-26. His son Louis IX continued minting coins with the same design.



Obv: Cross.
Inscription: LVDOVICVS REX (King Louis).

Rev: Chatel Tournois.
Inscription: TVRONVS CIVI (City of Tours).

Bishopric of Krakow, 1 denar 1218-1229. Kopicki 232, Numista #124205. (CNG photos).

I'm already on my last coin of the decade. It's a penny of King John, often depicted as the adversary of Robin Hood but in any case usually listed amongst England's worst kings, even though he did sign Magna Carta.

John Class 6b1 Short Cross Penny, 1213-1215

London. Silver, 18mm, 1.4g. Facing bust with sceptre; HENRICVS REX. Short voided cross, quatrefoils; +ILGER.ON.LVNDE (moneyer Ilger of London) (S 1354). Found Romney Marsh, Kent, 2000s.