GOLD COIN

The collection of the Museum Of Asian has a long history, having been built up over a period of almost 50 years. The first item on recors is a bronze Buddha head from Chiengsen period(1400-1550 AD), Thailand. The museum's present home was built to accommodate the increasing new acquisition. In jun 1980, the new building was built in the scenic area between the faculty of Economics and the Law Faculty(currenttly occupied by the Business and accounting Faculty)

In this post, i would like to introducing visitor about Gold and Silver Coins that Museum of Asian Art. There are many coins of Islamic Dynasties.

Safavid Husain I 1105-1135. IS fahan 1134

Islamic Dynasties
Safavid, Sultan Husayn, AH 1105-1135 / AD 1694-1722, gold ashrafi (3.48g, 22mm), Isfahan 1134, A‑2669, the 12 Imams in reverse margin, date below the name Husayn. Choice Extremely Fine. The ashrafi of Isfahan 1134 is only commonly encountered gold coin of Sultan Husayn, struck during the year of the Afghan siege of that city.  It has been suggested that these coins might have been produced to bribe the Afghans, but Husayn lost the campaign and was forced to resign and turn over city to his Afghan enemy.  Though a common coin, it is historically fascinating.

OBVERSE

In central circle

la ilah illa allah / muhammad rasul allah ‘ali wali allah

“no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, ‘Ali is the chosen one of God

Margin

the names of the Twelve Shi‘ite Imams

‘ali, hasan, husayn, ‘ali, muhammad, ja’far, musa, ‘ali, muhammad, ‘ali, hasan, muhammad

REVERSE

Field

within a circle of points banda-yi shah-i wilayat husayn darb isfahan 1134

“Slave of the King of Guardianship (‘Ali) struck Isfahan 1134

Historical Note

In 1131 (1719) Mir Ways’ successor, Mahmud, led a force into Kirman, which he entered unopposed, and two years later he marched his army to Isfahan. Shah Sultan Husayn vacillated, and the Safawid army was soundly defeated near Isfahan in Jumada 1134 (March 1722). As Mahmud’s army was too small to seize the city, he starved it into surrender. On 1 Muharram 1135 (12 October 1722 ) Shah Sultan Husayn gave up all resistance, and handed over his crown to Mahmud.This is a particularly attractive example of the Twelver Shi’ite coinage issued by Shah Sultan Husayn, who was pious to the point of bigotry. He refers to himself with perhaps exaggerated modesty as “The Slave of ‘Ali”.The main coinage metal throughout Safawid rule was silver, gold being struck only rarely, particularly in the early years of the dynasty under Shahs Isma‘il I and Tahmasp I and at the end, for a period of about ten years, under Shahs Husayn, Tahmasp II and ‘Abbas III.

SPECIFICATION:

Material: Gold Dinar

Type of khat: Thulut

Estimate: 750-900 USD

Weight and measurement:2.90 g / 19.5mm
Dynasty:  The Safawid Shahs of Iran, 907-1148 H/1501-1736 AD

Egypt began to liberate itself from Abbasid rule under the Tulunids (868-905). Ahmad ibn Tulun was Abbasid governor of Egypt, but soon took control of the country’s finances and then conquered Syria with his own army. In his Egyptian capital of Fustat, he founded a new quarter for his troops, with one of the period’s most important extant Islamic monuments, the Ibn Tulun Mosque, which was highly influenced by the contemporary architecture of Abbasid Samarra. The Tulunid dynasty ruled for only a few generations, after which Egypt and Syria briefly returned to Abbasid control.

OBVERSE

Field

la ilah illa / allah wahdahu / la sharik lahu / al-mufawwid ‘ila allah
“no god but God, unique, He has no associate, al-Mufawwid ‘ila Allah”

Inner margin

bism allah duriba hadha’l-dinar bi-misr sana saba‘ wa sab‘in wa mi’atayn
“in the name of God this dinar was struck in Misr the year seven and seventy and two hundred”

Outer margin

lillah al-amr min qabl wa min bad wa yawma‘idhin yafrahu al-mu’minin bi-nasr allah
“the command is God’s, past and future, and on that day the faithful will rejoice in the victory granted by God”
Sura 30 (Rum), vv. 4-5 (in part)

REVERSE

Field

lillah / muhammad / rasul allah / al-mu‘tamid ‘alaallah / khumarawayh ibn ahmad
“For God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, al-Mu‘tamid ‘ala Allah, Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad”

Margin

muhammad rasul allah arsalahu bi’l-huda wa din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ‘ala al-din kullihi wa law kariha al-mushrikun
“Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it”
Sura 9 (al-Tawba), v. 33

Historcical note

When Ahmad ibn al-Muwaffaq himself became caliph in 279 (892), taking the name al-Mu‘tadid billah, he reached an agreement with Khumarawayh, and granted the Tulunids the right to rule the lands under their control for thirty years in return for 300,000 dinars annual tribute. This large sum, combined with Khumarawayh’s extravagant habits, drained all the money left by Ahmad ibn Tulun from the Egyptian treasury.

After Khumarawayh’s death in 282 (896) Tulunid power declined throughout the brief reigns of his sons, Jaysh and Harun to the point where, in 292 (905), the Abbasids seized their chance to overthrow the dynasty. They recaptured Syria, restored Egypt to their control and sent the remaining members of the Tulunid family to Baghdad. This dinar, struck in Egypt in 277 (590-591), follows the Abbasid pattern used by Khumarawayh’s father, Ahmad.

SPECIFICATION:

Material: Gold Dinar

Type of khat: Khufi

Estimate: 150 EURO starting price

Weight and measurement: 4.26g/23.5mm

dynasty: The Tulunid Gavenors Egypt and Syria