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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,282 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
I have no knowledge of these coins (or about much Persian or Arabic coinage at all for that matter) -- this is claimed to be a silver dirham of Samarqand, Timurid era, 1.5 grams in weight, 17mm. It seems very nice for such an old coin and that is why I would love some more information about it. Not out a lot of money if it is a fake. I should have it in hand this week. I don't own anything even close to this, most of my older coins are European or Roman. The side to the right (obverse? reverse?) of the picture looks to be off-center. Researching "Timurid" on Google pulls up a lot of interesting reading for future boredom days..  Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Very nice coin, I'm posting one of mine in a different thread.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7952 Posts |
Is that a date of AH781 (=1380) at the bottom of the left photo?
And yes, it's quite an attractive coin!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Your coin is a dirham of the dynastic founder Timur, known to the west as Tamerlane. The left image shows the Kalima, "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the apostle of Allah" with the date 785 (AD 1383/4) at lower left and the mint name Samarqand barely visible in the margin. The other side names Timur as "gurkhan" and cites his nominal Chaghatayid (Mongol) overlord Suyurghatmish. Ashmolean Sylloge 9, 834ff; Album 2375.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Nice, a coin of Tamerlane the founder of the dynasty and a very important figure in the history of the region.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12057 Posts |
Outstanding information -- looks like I did ok :)
Thanks all!
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Moderator
United States
34419 Posts |
Quote:
with the date 785 (AD 1383/4) at lower left @KS, just to help out us rookies, can you explain a bit more about the numbers on the date for this coin. I see both the seven and eight on the lower left of the left pic, but nothing which resembles a letter O (i.e. the number five in Arabic). Is it the character which vaguely looks like a capital letter B perhaps? Thx! "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
@Spence Yes, in this case the 5 looks something like a Roman B. I believe this is more of a Persian or eastern form. Compare the chart below.  Edited by Kushanshah
08/28/2018 9:43 pm
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Moderator
United States
34419 Posts |
Ok yes thanks for this explanation! For me, at least, one of the big challenges of Arabic is the large number of shapes that some characters can take. It is hard to make my brain agree that a circle is the same thing as an upside down heart *and* a capital letter B.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,282 |
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Posted 08/28/2018 06:15 am
