Timurid, Sultan Husayn (Abu'l-Ghazi), Date?, AR Tanka, Herat mint (AH 873-911)

Started by aws22, September 26, 2024, 07:25:36 PM

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aws22

Timurid, Sultan Husayn (Abu'l-Ghazi), Date?, AR Tanka, Herat mint (AH 873-911/1469-1506 AD)
Weight: 4.15 gm
Diameter: 22-26 mm
Obverse (Left photo):
Field:
لا اله الا الله , La Ilah Illa Allah
محمد رسول الله  , Muhammad Rasul Allah
Margin: around, the names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs Rightly Guided Caliphs (Rashidun) with their epithets:
Top:  على المرتضى , 'Ali al-Murtadha / 'Ali the chosen one
Right:  أبا بكر الصديق , aba Bakr al-Sideeq / Abu Bakr the faithful
Bottom:  عمر الفاروق , 'Umar al-Farooq / 'Umar who distinguishes truth from falsehood
Left:  عثمان العفان  , 'Usman al-'Affan / 'Uthman the Defender
Reverse (Right photo):
السلطان الاعظم  , al-Sultan al-'Azam
ابو الغازي حسين  , abu'l-Ghazi Husayn
سلطان  , Sultan
Inside central cartouche: " به بود  , beh bud (means "it was good" presumably meaning the coin was acceptable)  , هراة Herat ".
بهادر خلد الله تعالى ملكه  , Bahadur khallad Allah mulkahu
وسلطانه , wa sultanahu
(Date at bottom left) not visible.

Maythem
Coin collecting has a curious name. It is also called the "Hobby of Kings".

jkk

Sometimes, Maythem, I think you deliberately pick the coins that someone did violence unto, just for a challenge in attribution. This is much like the ones I was posting back when I got the Afghan hoard, and the cartouche and field border are so very familiar from those.

Do you think that the general state of somewhat lower quality control hints at it being later or earlier in the reign of  Sultan Husayn?
Jonathan

aws22

Thank you Jonathan; this a typical AR Tanka of Timurid, Sultan Husayn; I agree that it is of lower quality may be it was issued during early time of his reign. The date should be at bottom left, but not visible.

Maythem
Coin collecting has a curious name. It is also called the "Hobby of Kings".

Figleaf

Quote from: jkk on October 01, 2024, 03:09:22 AMSometimes, Maythem, I think you deliberately pick the coins that someone did violence unto, just for a challenge in attribution.

Maybe there is an even more subtle reason. Islamic law says that in a divorce, the woman's clothes (including their decoration) belong to her. As a safeguard for such a case, women would appreciate clothes decorated with coins. They would normally be holed and sewn on the clothes. Even if she didn't divorce, the coins would be considered part of her inheritance. They could be spent or sold separately or with the clothes. In this way, jewellers and assorted souk dealers would stock holed coins. I would expect Maythem could go there to find new coins for his collection. His choice in the souk is limited to what the dealers have and they have many holed coins.

Holed coins having no numismatic value is a European hang-up. Except in Greece and possibly in other Balkan countries women don't wear coins on clothes, though they do wear them as jewellery, so they'll show traces of soldering or clamps. They can also be used as an amulet, recognisable because the hole is drilled so that the coin is upside down when worn and can easily be lifted to the lips and kissed. More fun are the coins that were nailed to a post of a market stall as an indication of which coins the merchant would not accept. They have shards on one side that were not hammered down. My point is that holes in coins have a story of their own.

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

aws22

Thank you Peter; you are right about women's clothes and head caps decorated with coins. Attached, two of my old silver collection, women's necklace or headgear. This shows how coins are attached to the chain:

Maythem
Coin collecting has a curious name. It is also called the "Hobby of Kings".