THE MIDDLE EAST

For other coins of this region, also check out the following pages:
AFGHANISTAN COIN & CURRENCY PAGE
1800 YEARS OF IRAQ COINS & CURRENCY

MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC TERRA-COTTA TOKENS

These unusual terracotta tokens were produced in the Persian Gulf area around the 11th and 12th centuries A.D.  At the time copper coins were not in production.  The tokens were produced by merchants or money-changers to provide change for small purchases.  The tokens were rarely seen, until a recent hoard was discovered.  This hoard included a number of different types.  They all are small (about 10-14mm), with various Islamic inscriptions on them.  It is an unusual and rarely seen form of money.
Item C-TERRA   PERSIAN GULF TERRA-COTTA TOKEN, 11th-12th  VF-XF    $5.00
Item C-TERRAx10  10 MIXED OF THE ABOVE TERRA-COTTA TOKENS    $24.95

The Mamlukes ruled an area including Syria, much of the Holyland and Egypt from 1250 to 1517AD.  The Mamlukes were slaves purchased as boys, usually from Russia.  Eventually the slaves overthrew their masters, the Ayyubids, and established their own dynasty.  However they continued to import slaves, and usually choose their leaders from the ranks of the slaves, thus their ruler was also a slave!  Thus the Mamlukes are known as the "Slave-Kings". We offer three coins from these unusual monarchs.   The first is a gold Ashrafi of Qansuh II struck in Cairo, Egypt between 1501 and 1516AD.  Qansuh was defeated by Ottoman Sultan Selem I in 1516AD, leading to a complete collapse of the Mamluk Dynasty the following year.   We also offer a Mamluk silver 1 Dirham and silver fractional Dirham.  The Fractional Dirham was struck using  the dies for the larger 1 Dirham coin, even though the blank is less than half the size of the die!  The Fractional Dirham tend to be square or rectangular, however they come in a variety of shapes as the mint workers were paid on how many they produced, not on how the coins looked. 
Item L-MAM-ASH  MAMLUK GOLD ASHRAFI, QANSUH II 1501-1516 F-crude    $175.00
Item L-MAM-DIR  MAMLUK SILVER DIRHAM 1260-1421AD AG-G-crude    sold out
Item L-MAM-FRA  MAMLUK SILVER FRACTIONAL DIRHAM 1260-1421AD VG-crude    $3.50

SILVER COIN OF TAMERLANE

Tamerlane was a ruthless conqueror who from 1370 to 1405 created the Timurid Empire that included much of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and surrounding regions. In his conquests he occupied Damascus, Moscow, Baghdad and Delhi.  After looting a city and massacring the population he would often move on, leaving behind towers built of skulls.  The name, Tamerlane, is derived from "lame Timur",  his lameness being caused by injuries received in battle. He died in 1405 while on his way to conquer China.  As might be expected from a barbarian, his coinage is quite crude.  These silver Akces were minted for Tamerlane at the Kastamonu mint in what is now Turkey in 1404 and 1405AD.. 
Item L-TIM-2388   TAMERLANE  SILVER AKCE, 1404-1405 VG-crude   sold out

LAST OF THE MONGOLS IN PERSIA

Shah Mansur was the last monarch of the Muzaffarid Dynasty, which was one of the last Mongol Dynasties in Iran.  He killed all his brothers to become the sole lord of the Muzaffarids in 1388. He then turned his attention to stopping Tamerlane, who had previously ravaged much of the Muzaffarid's lands.  In 1392, after doing battle with Tamerlane's forces, he was assassinated at a dinner that he had been invited to by Tamerlane.  Thus a dynasty that traced its roots to Ghenghiz Khan came to an end at the hands of another ruthless conqueror.  This silver 2 Dinar coin is quite crudely struck. Muzaffarid coins are difficult to locate, so most collectors are happy to obtain any coin from this scarce and short-lived dynasty.
Item L-MUZ-2289  MUZAFFARID SILVER 2 DINARS, SHAH MANSUR 1388-92  Good    $7.50

<-- PREVIOUS PAGE      NEXT PAGE -->
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS TO SEE MORE INTERESTING STUFF
SECURE ON-LINE CREDIT CARD ORDER PAGE  ORDERING INFORMATION

scale with which to judge image sizes