This was in a lot of Central Asia study coins I purchased a few years back. I a usually pretty good at figuring these out but have had no luck with this one. Silver. It weighs 4.5G. 17mm at the widest point. I am assuming that the picture is of the obverse. Looks like it has a date of 1287 AH (1870 CE) Any ideas?
I am of no use, but think it's cool looking. Afghanistan? One of a myriad array of Indian Princely States? I concur on "Central Asian". That's all I've got. *shrug*
I checked Bukhara, Khiva, Iran, Afghanistan. I didn't wander as far east as India. That would be daunting. The only reference I used was The Standard Catalog. All of the other coins in the lot came from the same general area going back as far as old issues from Chach.
I looked in Numismaster for the date 1287. It came up with 58 coins, about a quarter of them can be easily eliminated. Of the remainder none match exactly, but then several did not have pictures. Do you have a picture of the reverse? The coin looks to be struck well of center, which is hard to match to pictures. None has the date as displayed.
The text on your coin fits best with a fragment of "Zarb dar al-Islam". This is the standart mint epithet of Khiva.
Khiva is one of the coins which did not have a picture. There is only one coin listed. The basic information, from Numismaster, is Basic Coin Information Y# 6 Denomination Tenga Country Central Asia\Khiva Government Khanate Ruler Sayyid Muhammad Rahim (AH1282-1328 / 1865-1910 AD) Coinage Type Hammered Coinage Composition Silver Notes Two distinct varieties of obverse inscription (legend distribution) exist. AH1294-1313 dated strikes are posthumous issues.
Thanks for the feedback. I would have expected that it was Khiva or Bukhara. There is only a small fragment of inscription on the reverse. Difficult to get any useful photos with my photo set up.
Weight and design of the Khiva coin you refer to does not fit. You'd better have put the picture of the other side also in the starting post. Because the combination may better fit with Persia than Khiva. My alternative would be that this is a Qajar (dynasty), Qiran (denomination). The mint formula "Zarb dar al-XXX" is also used on many of these. Unfortunately the defining part for the mintplace is not on your coin. Edit: here you are: not the same year, but close enough, https://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/mycoinfacts/ah1286-kran-shiraz-vf35/2005500/0
I have another one from the same lot. Different era. Thinking of starting up another thread for that one.
