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
KUSHAN
COIN OF THE "UNKNOWN KING"
The
Kushan Empire ruled the area from northern India through Afghanistan
into Central Asia in the first and second centuries AD. It
grew wealthy controlling trade centers on the Silk Road and on the
Indus River and had diplomatic relations with both Rome and
China. Until recently the actual name of its second emperor
was unknown. He was known only by the title on his coins
"Soter Megas", which translates as “Great Savior”. He thought
of himself as being so great, he did need to use his actual name. With
the discovery of a large stone tablet listing the names of the Kushan
rulers it is now known his name was Vima Takto who ruled from about 80
to 105AD. His bronze tetradrachm features a Greek style
diademed bust of the king on one side, and the king on horseback on the
other. It is an attractive, well-struck ancient coin.
Item
SOTER KUSHAN BRONZE TETRADRACHM, SOTER MEGAS
(VIMA TAKTO) ca.80-105AD VF
$39.95
ANCIENT
KUSHANO-SASANIAN COPPER
COIN
After the
split of the Kushan Empire around 230AD, the eastern portion became a
vassal state of the Sasanian Empire
is known as the
Kushano-Sassanians. It controlled parts of what are now
Afghanistan and Pakistan. It remained until about 350AD, when the area
was conquered by the White Huns (Hephthalites). These small,
crude copper coins, sometimes called a Drachm or a unit, were minted
between about 241 and 350AD. They are some of the last coins of the
Kushano-Sasanians. They are modeled after the Sasanian silver Drachm,
however are smaller, much cruder and made of copper. One side
features the
bust of the king, the other features a Zoroastrian fire
altar.
Item
KUSHAN-SAS KUSHANO-SASANIAN COPPER
DRACHM,
ca.241-350AD G-CRUDE
$5.00
FORMER SLAVE
FOUNDS
GHAZNAVID DYNASTY
At
its peak the Ghaznavids controlled a vast central Asian empire that
included Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India as well as parts of Iran
and Turkmenistan. The founder of the dynasty was Sabuktekin
(Sabuktigin). In his youth he was captured in a tribal war
and sold as a slave. He was eventually purchased by Alptigin,
the governor of Ghazna, who so recognized his potential. He
later married the Alptgin's daughter. In 977 he
became governor of Ghazna, which became a semi-independent kingdom
within the Samanid Empire. He expanded his kingdom,
conquering much of which is now Afghanistan. He died in 997
after becoming sick on a military campaign. His son Mahmud,
declared full independence and further expanded the
territory. This silver dirham of Sabuktigin was struck at
Farwan in Afghanistan. One side cites the Shada (There is no
God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger). The other side
acknowledges his Samanid overlord and the Abbasid Caliph. The
silver coin is approximately 17mm.
Item
GHAZ-SEBUK GHAZNAVID SILVER DIRHAM OF
SABUKTEKIN 977-997AD A-1599 Fine
$18.00
THE FAMOUS BULL
&
HORSEMAN JITAL
The
Bull and Horseman Jital was introduced by the Hindu Kings in Kabul and
Ohind (now Afghanistan and Pakistan) in the 9th century. One
side featured a humped bull. The other side a man on a horse
holding a lance. The coins became the standard for much of
Afghanistan and northern India. It continued to be struck for
hundreds of years by neighboring and successive kingdoms. It gradually
become cruder and more debased as each generation would copy the design
from coins found in circulation. These Bull and Horseman
Jitals date from around the 10th to 11th century. They are
made of debased silver and feature crude line drawings of the bull and
horseman. I do not have the time or patience to do an exact
attribution so am letting them go cheap.
Item
B&H INDIA BILLON BULL &
HORSEMAN
JITAL circa 1000AD VF-crude
$7.50
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
AFGHANISTAN 10,000
AFGHANI BANKNOTE 
The
10,000 Afghani was the highest denomination ever issued by
Afghanistan. It was needed due to severe inflation due to the
Afghan civil war, in which various warlords and the Taliban were
fighting for control of the country. Starting in 1993,
various warlords claiming to represent the Afghan government contracted
with banknote printers in Russia and the United Kingdom to print the
notes. Of course, this only made inflation worse.
In 1996 Taliban declared them worthless, however they continued to
circulate in many areas of the nation until the notes were replaced in
2002 with new banknote
s after the American invasion
of Afghanistan. The front features the Friday Mosque in Herat (Masjid-i
Jami') and the seal of the Afghanistan Bank which an image of
an ancient Greco-Bactrian Tetradrachm minted circa 171-179BC and two
cornucopias spilling out coins. The back depicts the 11th
century Qala-e-Bost Gateway. It is a beautiful banknote
issued during a troubled time in a troubled nation.
Item
PM-AF-10000A AFGHANISTAN 10,000 AFGHANI BANKNOTE 1993
P63b UNC.
$4.50
<--
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE -->
The
Kushan Empire ruled the area from northern India through Afghanistan
into Central Asia in the first and second centuries AD. It
grew wealthy controlling trade centers on the Silk Road and on the
Indus River and had diplomatic relations with both Rome and
China. Until recently the actual name of its second emperor
was unknown. He was known only by the title on his coins
"Soter Megas", which translates as “Great Savior”. He thought
of himself as being so great, he did need to use his actual name. With
the discovery of a large stone tablet listing the names of the Kushan
rulers it is now known his name was Vima Takto who ruled from about 80
to 105AD. His bronze tetradrachm features a Greek style
diademed bust of the king on one side, and the king on horseback on the
other. It is an attractive, well-struck ancient coin. 
At
its peak the Ghaznavids controlled a vast central Asian empire that
included Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India as well as parts of Iran
and Turkmenistan. The founder of the dynasty was Sabuktekin
(Sabuktigin). In his youth he was captured in a tribal war
and sold as a slave. He was eventually purchased by Alptigin,
the governor of Ghazna, who so recognized his potential. He
later married the Alptgin's daughter. In 977 he
became governor of Ghazna, which became a semi-independent kingdom
within the Samanid Empire. He expanded his kingdom,
conquering much of which is now Afghanistan. He died in 997
after becoming sick on a military campaign. His son Mahmud,
declared full independence and further expanded the
territory. This silver dirham of Sabuktigin was struck at
Farwan in Afghanistan. One side cites the Shada (There is no
God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger). The other side
acknowledges his Samanid overlord and the Abbasid Caliph. The
silver coin is approximately 17mm.
The
Bull and Horseman Jital was introduced by the Hindu Kings in Kabul and
Ohind (now Afghanistan and Pakistan) in the 9th century. One
side featured a humped bull. The other side a man on a horse
holding a lance. The coins became the standard for much of
Afghanistan and northern India. It continued to be struck for
hundreds of years by neighboring and successive kingdoms. It gradually
become cruder and more debased as each generation would copy the design
from coins found in circulation. These Bull and Horseman
Jitals date from around the 10th to 11th century. They are
made of debased silver and feature crude line drawings of the bull and
horseman. I do not have the time or patience to do an exact
attribution so am letting them go cheap.
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. 
