AFGHANISTAN COINS & BANKNOTES
A numismatic review of a troubled land.
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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
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
This
set of 4 attractive Afghanistan banknotes were introduced in 1978
during the Soviets occupation of Afghanistan. The notes
continued
to be printed until about 1991 for the Taliban and various
warlords. 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.
$5.00
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
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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. 
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.