AFGHANISTAN COINS & BANKNOTES
A numismatic review of a troubled land.
For coins of India, please visit 
2200
YEARS OF COINS OF INDIA
For coins of Iraq, please visit 1800
YEARS OF IRAQ COINS & CURRENCY
For coins of other countries of the Middle East,
please visit
our MIDDLE EAST COINS PAGE
AFFORDABLE
EARLY
ANCIENT SILVER
COIN
This is
one of the most affordable early ancient silver coins
available. It was struck from about 600BC to 327BC in the
area of northern Pakistan and north-eastern Afghanistan. Some
references attribute the coin to the region of Gandhara Janapada, while
others attribute it to Taxila, which was the major city in that
region. One side of the slightly concave coin has the six
petaled Taxila "flower" design that was used on most coins of the
region at that time. The other side is blank. The
coin is approximately 12 to 14mm in diameter. It is likely the coins
were first struck shortly before the region was invaded by Persian
emperor Darius the Great in 518BC. The coins continued to be
issued under Persian rule, probably until
Alexander the Great
conquered
the region in 327BC. The coin is denominated as 1/8
Santamanas.
Item
GANDHARA GANDHARA JANAPADA 1/8 SANTAMANA
circa 600-327BC Fine-crude
$35.00
HISTORIC
HERAT COIN
Afghanistan
has long been a graveyard for foreign nations that tried to impose
their will on this unruly nation. Persia,
Great Britain,
Russia and most recently the United States tried, and failed. This
crude copper 1 Falus was issued by the city of Herat in Afghanistan
between 1826 and 1833. Herat was independent during this
period due to a civil in Afghanistan between the Durrani and Barakzai
dynasties. In 1837 the Persians, supported by the Russians
attempted to besiege the city, which was supported by the
British. After a nine-month brutal and bloody siege the
Persians gave up and withdrew. The day after the Persians
left the British began to assemble their Indian Army for an invasion of
Afghanistan in in order to install the British supported Durrani
claimant of the Afghan throne and remove the Russian supported Barakzai
claimant. The British conquered Kabul in 1839 and installed
their claimant to the throne. After enduring harsh winters, the British
forces, their families and camp followers were almost completely
annihilated during their retreat from Kabul in 1842. The
Barakazi's then reclaimed the throne of Afghanistan.
Item
HERAT-1F HERAT, AFGHANISTAN 1 FALUS KMA45.1 1826-33 VG-Fine-crude
$7.50
LAST
COINS OF THE LAST KING OF AFGHANISTAN 
Mohammed Zahir Shah ascended to the throne of Afghanistan in 1933
when he was only sixteen years old. His long reign
was
noted for modernization, peace and
stability in what was, and again is, a war-torn nation. He
managed to maintain neutrality during World War II. During
the Cold War he received aid and support from both the United States
and the Soviet Union. In 1973 he was overthrown by his cousin
Mohammed Daud Khan who attempted
to establish a republic. His last coins were these 1, 2 and 5 Afghani
dated SH1340 (1961AD). The 5 Afghani was highly controversial
as it featured his portrait. It was the first Afghan coin to feature a
monarch's image. Because Islam discourages the use of images of people,
the coin was poorly received and many were mutilated or
destroyed. A statue of an eagle with outstretched wings is on
the 2 Afghani. Three ears of wheat are on the 1
Afghani. All three coins are struck in nickel-clad steel and
feature the denomination on the reverse.
Item AF-SET61
AFGHANISTAN 1, 2 & 5
AFGHANI
SH1340 (1961)
KM953-955 AU-UNC.
$5.00
BANKNOTES
FROM SOVIET OCCUPIED & TALIBAN AFGHANISTAN
In 1979 Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the
government. Despite their superior technology and air power the
Soviets were only able to secure urban areas and some major
transportation corridors. Some 80% of the country remained under
the control of guerilla and tribal bands. For the next nine
years the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan took an increasing toll on
both Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In 1989 the Soviet
Union pulled the last of their troops out of Afghanistan and the
Taliban quickly took over the country, creating a breeding ground for
terrorism, the rise of Osama bin Laden and the creation of Al Qaeda. In
2001, in response to Al Qaeda's September 11 attacks in the United
States, United States troops invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the
Taliban government. Despite their superior technology and air
power the United States was unable to gain control over much of the
country. After 20 years, in 2021 the United States announced it
was pulling out the last of their troops. Even before the last of
the American troops left, the Taliban claimed to control some 85% of
the country. It seems history is repeating itself.
This set of four attractive Afghanistan banknotes were introduced
shortly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. They continued
to be printed for the Taliban government until about 1991. The set
includes the 50, 100 and 500 and 1000 Afghani notes in crisp
uncirculated condition. The 50 Afghani pictures the Dar-al-Aman
palace in Kabul. The 100 Afghani depicts a farmer and the Naghlu
hydroelectric dam on the Kabul river. The 500 Afghani pictures a
group of horsemen playing Buzkashi. Buzkashi is the national sport of
Afghanistan. It is somewhat similar to polo, but is played with
goat or calf carcass and has few, if any, rules. The 1000 Afghani
depicts a flock of birds at the Mazar-e-Sharif Mosque (Noble shrine) on
one side. The other side pictures the monument to fallen soldiers
and the Victory Arch in Paghman Gardens near Kabul. They were
built to commemorate Afghan victory over the British in 1919, heavily
damaged during the Soviet-Afghanistan war in the 1980's and have since
been restored. The notes all bear the seal of the Afghanistan bank on
the front. The seal includes an image of an ancient Greco-Bactrian
Tetradrachm minted circa 171-179BC, two cornucopias spilling out coins
and the year the bank was founded (1939). The notes are a
reminder of the recent troubled and violent history of Afghanistan.
Item
PM-AF-SET4 AFGHANISTAN 4 NOTE SET 50 - 1000
AFGHANI (1978-1991) UNC.
$6.00
RECENT COINS OF
AFGHANISTAN
In
2004
Afghanistan released its first coins for circulation since
1980. The set includes a copper-plated steel 1 Afghani, a
steel 2 Afghani and an aluminum-bronze (brass) 5 Afghani, dated SH1383,
which corresponds to AD2004. Since 2005 no additional coins have
been minted for circulation. The coins feature the
denomination on one side and the traditional arms of Afghanistan on the
other. The coins were minted in Europe, sent by ship to
Pakistan, and then trucked to Afghanistan. Millions of the
coins were stolen while they were in transit in Pakistan. The loss was
only discovered when sharp-eyed customs official noted that a truck
containing the coins was much lighter than it should have
been. The release of the coins was delayed until the stolen
coins were recovered. The coins help mark Afghanistan's return to
normalcy after years of civil war and Taliban rule.
Item
S-AF-SET04 AFGHANISTAN 1, 2
&
5 AFGHANI SH1383 (AD2004) KM1044-1046 UNC. $4.00
<--
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE -->
This is
one of the most affordable early ancient silver coins
available. It was struck from about 600BC to 327BC in the
area of northern Pakistan and north-eastern Afghanistan. Some
references attribute the coin to the region of Gandhara Janapada, while
others attribute it to Taxila, which was the major city in that
region. One side of the slightly concave coin has the six
petaled Taxila "flower" design that was used on most coins of the
region at that time. The other side is blank. The
coin is approximately 12 to 14mm in diameter. It is likely the coins
were first struck shortly before the region was invaded by Persian
emperor Darius the Great in 518BC. The coins continued to be
issued under Persian rule, probably until Alexander the Great
conquered
the region in 327BC. The coin is denominated as 1/8
Santamanas. 
Afghanistan
has long been a graveyard for foreign nations that tried to impose
their will on this unruly nation. Persia, Great Britain,
Russia and most recently the United States tried, and failed. This
crude copper 1 Falus was issued by the city of Herat in Afghanistan
between 1826 and 1833. Herat was independent during this
period due to a civil in Afghanistan between the Durrani and Barakzai
dynasties. In 1837 the Persians, supported by the Russians
attempted to besiege the city, which was supported by the
British. After a nine-month brutal and bloody siege the
Persians gave up and withdrew. The day after the Persians
left the British began to assemble their Indian Army for an invasion of
Afghanistan in in order to install the British supported Durrani
claimant of the Afghan throne and remove the Russian supported Barakzai
claimant. The British conquered Kabul in 1839 and installed
their claimant to the throne. After enduring harsh winters, the British
forces, their families and camp followers were almost completely
annihilated during their retreat from Kabul in 1842. The
Barakazi's then reclaimed the throne of Afghanistan. 
In
2004
Afghanistan released its first coins for circulation since
1980. The set includes a copper-plated steel 1 Afghani, a
steel 2 Afghani and an aluminum-bronze (brass) 5 Afghani, dated SH1383,
which corresponds to AD2004. Since 2005 no additional coins have
been minted for circulation. The coins feature the
denomination on one side and the traditional arms of Afghanistan on the
other. The coins were minted in Europe, sent by ship to
Pakistan, and then trucked to Afghanistan. Millions of the
coins were stolen while they were in transit in Pakistan. The loss was
only discovered when sharp-eyed customs official noted that a truck
containing the coins was much lighter than it should have
been. The release of the coins was delayed until the stolen
coins were recovered. The coins help mark Afghanistan's return to
normalcy after years of civil war and Taliban rule.