Interesting to compare these two intriguing fulus. Usually, medieval islamic coins are
full of text. But these two have an inner circle that's almost or totally empty. One has a dot in the centre of the circle, the other hasn't. Unfortunately, both coins are heavily marked by the incomprehensible evil of striating, that plagued copper coinage of this time and place.
They are Qarakhanid coins of the same place and date: Ferghana, 398 AH = 1008 AD, ruler Nasr b. Ali. See Zeno for a row of different types with the same mint and date, but this one,
Zeno 171651, is comparable to these coins (in this case, with the dot).
Some Fatimid dinars of the 10th and 11th century AD show the same interest in the inner circle (or bull's eye)
with the dot or
without the dot.
Technical details:
AE fals Qarakhanids. Ferghana, 398/ 1008. Nasr b. Ali. Large central circle with nothing in it. 28 mm. 2.48 gr. Album 3303. Kochnev 120.
AE fals Qarakhanids. Ferghana, 398/ 1008. Nasr b. Ali. Large circle with a little dot in the middle. 28 mm. 3.09 gr. Album 3303. Kochnev 120.
For comparison of the obverses, I put the first 'LA' of the Kalima, in the second circle, at the same point on one o'clock.
-- Paul