View source for Iran-Ghaznavid AH401 1 dinar

[[Image: IRN-GAZ_401AH_1dinar_Mahmud_SA-lot424-A1606-18May2013-USD170.jpg|550px|thumb|Stephen Album sale 16, lot 424]]
The Ghaznavids were a Turkic people who served as slaves in the army during the Samanid empire and upheld orthodox Sunni Islam. As the latter declined in the late 900’s AD, the slave commanders took control of areas on the fringes of the Samanid empire, one of them being the area around Ghazni, [[Afghanistan]]. They eventually controlled parts of [[Pakistan]], [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and [[India]]. They weakened after prolonged conflict with the Ghorids (despite a productive alliance with the Seljuqs), losing [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iran]] by 1150 AD. They hung on until 1186 in Lahore [[Pakistan]], when they were defeated by Khusrau Malik.

The specimen shown was lot 424 in Steve Album sale 16 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2013), where it sold for US$170. The catalog description reads<sup>[1]</sup>: "GHAZNAVID: Mahmud, 999-1030, AV dinar, Nishapur, AH401, ruler cited with full titles, partly on obverse, partly on reverse, citing caliphal heir al-Ghalib, EF, S."

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 3.24g, gold.

''Catalog reference:'' A-1606.

''[[Bibliography|Sources:]]''
* Album, Stephen. ''Checklist of Islamic Coins.''  Santa Rosa, 1998. Stephen Album.
* <sup>[1]</sup>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-Ghaznavid AH405 dinar]]
* return to coins of [[Iran]]

[[Category:Coinage of the Ghaznavids]][[Category:Selections from Stephen Album sale 16]]