Bengal Sultanate: Horseman coin in the name of Delhi Sultan, Iltutmish

[mitresh]

Bengal Sultanate, In the name of Delhi Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, Silver Tanka, 10.87 g, 27mm, horseman type


Obv: Horseman galloping to right, mace held upright in front of face in right hand, cloth piece flying behind head, rider wearing 'jooti' (leather boot with pointed tip). Kalima around circular edge.

Rev: al-sultan al-mu'azzam shams al-dunya wa'l din abu'l muzaffar iltutmish al-qutbi amir al-mu'minin.

The coin has a well centered Obverse with remarkably clear facial features of the horse rider with eyes, nose and lips clearly visible. As usual with this coin type, there are certain weak and flat strike areas around the edges on Obv and Rev.

Most of such coins are attributed to the Governor of Bengal, Ghiyas al-din Iwad, with Baldwins indicating AH 613-616 (1216-1219 AD) as the probable dates of issue. Iltutmish reign lasted from 1210-1236 AD while Ghiyasuddin Iwad was Governor of Bengal from 1213-1227 AD. The coins usually are dateless and mintless.

[nnasir]

Horsemen coins are usually mintless but not dateless. All of those bear dates ranging from 613 AH to 616 AH. One extremely rare variety also includes mint 'Darb bagaur' ...

Rgds
Noman

[mitresh]

Thanks. Grateful if you could let me know whether my coin has any date mentioned on it.

[Md. Shariful Islam]

Very nice coin. Only a few lucky gentlemen possess these horsemen with torch or lance at hand wearing a 'pagri' on head. Nice coin. I am still waiting for one such of a kind.

[mitresh]

Thanks Islam. I do hope your wish is fulfilled and you get an even better specimen for your collection.

[nnasir]

Thanks. Grateful if you could let me know whether my coin has any date mentioned on it.

Date is not fully legible in your coin. I will check other specimens. However I have attached here the scan of 'Darb Bi-gaur' type bearing date 613 AH. Condition is not attractive but still worthy considering rarirty & historical significance.

Rgds
Noman

[mitresh]

Thanks for sharing Noman. Appreciate it.

[Oesho]

However I have attached here the scan of 'Darb Bi-gaur' type bearing date 613 AH. Condition is not attractive but still worthy considering rarirty & historical significance.

This is an extraordinary rare coin. Goron/Goenka B19, listed as RRR (Almost never available; may only occur in a museum collection or be unique). 

[Md. Shariful Islam]

This is an extraordinary rare coin. Goron/Goenka B19, listed as RRR (Almost never available; may only occur in a museum collection or be unique).

Wao... Great pick Noman bhai!

[nnasir]

Thanks Oesho & Tanka .. However, the book includes two varieties but none of those bear the date .. Here the date is clearly 613 AH .. So Iwad's earliest date in coins would be 613 instead of 614 as mentioned in the book ..

Rgds
Noman

[Dr.Syed Zaved Md Salehudd]

BENGAL SULTANS,Rare Coin Struck by Iwad Khilji (Husamuddin Iwaj Khilji) Bengal Governor under Delhi Sultan Iltutmish, 1217-20, silver tanka, Horseman type, latest collection

[Figleaf]

Congratulations on your latest purchase, Dr.Syed Zaved Md Salehudd. May there be many others of this level.

An amazing coin type. European medieval coins of this period could not achieve such a level of realism and detail.

Peter

[Dr.Syed Zaved Md Salehudd]

Thank you sir for your comments

[Md. Shariful Islam]

Really anice coin! A rare coin too that a few collector possess. I feel lucky that I have one. Thanks to Dr.Syed Zaved Md Salehudd for sharing the coin. It would be a great opportunity to see other coins if you kindly share them here. But it is preferable to give a desperate post for each coin.

Md. Shariful Islam

[S. M. Iftekhar Alam]

Nice coin, Mitresh. Congratulation! I think there is an additional word between "al-qutbi" and "amir" which I believe is "burhan" though it is not very complete. This coin belongs to type B21 but from a different die.

~ Iftekhar