Copper coin of Herat under Shaybanids / 914 AH

Started by saro, April 26, 2022, 02:55:20 PM

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saro

4,40 g / 25 x 27mm
falus struck at Herat in 940 " / reverse : floral design
This is a falus struck at Herat under Safavid rule at time of Tahmasp Shah I, similar to this Zeno examplar in better grade.
likely 1 dinar denomination ?

Herat  fell in safavid hands in 916 AH after  Isma'il Shah swept  the Shaybanids from the area.
Silver coins, Shahis  and halves are well known  but copper coins of the early safavids are scarce, as from other parts of the empire ; most of civic coppers of Herat under safavid control belong to Shah Hussein time or later (see the « rat » series)

The governors of Herat traditionnaly belonged  to the Shamlu tribe, a powerful Qizilbash clan. This falus  has been struck the year when Hussein Khan Shamlu, the leader of the tribe and governor of the city, suspected of wanting to take power, was removed  from his post by Tahmasp and put to death.

falus Herat.jpg


"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

saro

looking closely at this coin and comparing with the one published on Zeno, it seems that at 5 o'clock there is something extra to decipher  ??? I wonder what it could be ?

"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

Figleaf

Perhaps, but I just see the (off-centre) edge of the die, both on the picture of the whole coin and on the detail with the overlay.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

saro

Unfortunately it isn't clear  :-\ 
You are right, there is no sufficient room at 5 o'clock but may be a word is cut at bottom ?
I notice that there are 2 letters with a vertical stroke (ا ?) and 2 letters "R ر ", one of each can belong to "raij رایج", but to which belong the other "A & R" ??

The only thing which could fit and  make sense would be the word " dinar دینار " ?
A guess only...

"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

saro

Working on this coin, it appears that the floral design of reverse is very like the one of Shaybanids of early 10th c. AH and not at all  a civic copper struck at Herat at safavid time (940 = Tahmasp Shah I). I'm confident that the date should be read  914 instead of 940 with the following full legend :
" فلوس  ضرب هرات /  التاريخ سنه ۹۱۴ " / "falus zarb Herat / al-tarikh sanah 914"

It's not the word "raij" as I first thought but "al-tarikh", often used on shaybanids coppers and the dot  taken for the digit 0 of the date is in fact the dot of the word "sanah", cut at bottom.
The  description of Zeno #27148  (which is the one of the item 2740 of  S.Album auction 38 / march 2021) needs a revision.
So, it's a Shaybanid copper struck at Herat less  than 2 years before Shah Isma'il took the city.
"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

Figleaf

Congratulations, saro. May I borrow some of your stamina? :D

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

saro

Quote from: Figleaf on March 17, 2023, 08:18:45 PMCongratulations, saro. May I borrow some of your stamina? :D
no problem  ;)  it's just not to leave things half done...
"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

THCoins

Great to see you getting back at this. Sometimes coins and your ideas about them just have to ripen for some time !

saro

"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)

andyg

This is one of those coins I look at and wonder that so much can be made of it :)
always willing to trade modern UK coins for modern coins from elsewhere....

Figleaf

Likewise, andyg. The people making this site are fantastic. The power of their knowledge and experience coming together in one place and performing miracles on pieces of metal is just awesome. Thank you all for a high point just about every day!

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

saro

Thank you Andyg and Peter.
Most of these worn, corroded, often unlisted coins most often end up in loose boxes; once in a while it's nice to save one from oblivion, a bit like as for the two US Thanksgiving turkeys... :D
"All I know is that I know nothing" (Socrates)