Iran (1506) tanka
The Timurid Dynasty had one of its capitals in Herat, Afghanistan and well as Samarqand, Uzbekistan, and covered all of modern-day Iran. In addition to the above regions, Timurid rule extended to parts of contemporary Pakistan, India, Turkey, and the Caucasus. The dynasty was founded by the Turkic ruler Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century, coalescing into an empire by 1370 AD. It eventually weakened and was replaced by the Safavid dynasty in 1501 AD.
The specimen shown was lot 663 in Steve Album sale 16 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2013), where it sold for US$190. The catalog description reads[1]:
"TIMURIDS: Faridun Husayn, 1506, AR tanka, Astarabad, ND, with his kunya abu'l-'adl in obverse central cartouche, blackened, never scraped, modest weakness in center, Fine to VF, RRR, ex Ruud Schüttenhelm collection."
Faridun Husayn is a very obscure ruler or bandit chief who does not appear in the main king lists of Timurid or Safavid Iran. The beginning of the sixteenth century was turbulent as the Safavids overthrew the last of the Timurids. Astarabad is today the city of Gorgan in Golestan province.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 4.77 g.
Catalog reference: A-2442.1.
- Album, Stephen. Checklist of Islamic Coins. Santa Rosa, 1998. Stephen Album.
- [1]Album, Stephen. Stephen Album Rare Coins - Auction 16. Santa Rosa, 2013. Stephen Album Rare Coins.
- Mitchiner, Michael. Oriental Coins and their Values - The World of Islam. London, 2000. Hawkins Publications.
Link to:
- Afghanistan AH 861 tanka
- Afghanistan AH 866 tanka
- Afganistan-Timurid No Date (AH904-907) 1 tanka
- AH 904 (1498) tanka, Muhammad b. Husayn
- (AH 912-914) 3 tankas
- (AH 935-992) ¼ ashrafi
- Uzbekistan-Timurid AH853 1 tanka
- (AH 906-930) 1/3 shahi, Herat mint
- (1501-24) shahi, Balkh mint
- Iran (1501-24) shahi Khwaf mint
- Iran (1501-24) 2 shahi Qazwin mint
- (1501-24) 2 shahi, Simnan mint
- Coins and currency dated 1506
- return to coins of Iran