Featured In the name and title of the Great Khan. Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan.

Gold
In his name. Gold Dinar. Bukhara mint, circa 618-624 AH. Album-1964. Very rare! Some strike weakness but unusually completrle texts for type.


Legends in Arabic:
Obverse:
Jankeez Khan (Genghis Khan)
Al-Adil (The wise)
Al-Azam (The Great)

Reverse:
Bukhara
La ilah ila (There is no God but Allah)
Allah Muhammad Rasul (Muhammad is the prophet of Allah)

Whilst most coins associated with him were either in his title, anonymous or the Abbasid Caliph of which his territories paid in reverence to, this is one of the very rare coins which has the name of Genghis Khan himself struck on it. Characteristic of these Bukharan issues, the strike and legends are often weak and of very crude. This specimen however has the kalimah, mint and most of the texts visible and clear. Whilst "Khan" is very clear, some strike weakness on his name is there but traces are visible.

Silver

Silver dirham. In the name of Genghis Khan himself. 1206 - 1227 AD. Ghazna mint. Dark toned. Ex Jim Farr collection. After years of finding a choice well struck specimen.

Genghis Khan requires little need for introduction as the great Khan who united the Mongols and set the foundation as one of history's greatest conquerors for his descendants to come. This is one of the few rare specimens of coinage that bears his name in full as opposed to just his title as the Khan.

Minted by his travelling mint of his horde while chasing after the fallen Khwarezm ruler upon his conquest of the Khwarezm Empire. This silver dirham has the following inscriptions ( Special thanks to my friend Rafae L Suud for his kind inscription for Arabic readers):
Obverse:
Al-Adil - The Just
Al-Azam - The Great
Jankeez Khan - Genghis Khan

Reverse: (Name of the Abbasid Ruler)
Al-Nasir
Li Deen il-llah
Amir Al-Mumineen

Apart from the historical significance, this coin also bears a special memento as it belonged to my late friend Jim Farr, a well respected numismatist, member of the Oriental Numismatic Society and overall great man.

Billon



Billon Jital. Ghazna mint, Khwarezm Empire, Northern Afghanistan before it's destruction by his Mongol Horde. AD1206-1227.

Name of Caliph al-Nasir, title of Genghis Khan as "Adl Khaqan al-Azam" (coin of the great Khan). Album 1969, Tye 329.
Rare in full and centered condition.

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As one of history's great conquerors, Genghis Khan need little introduction. These 3 coins completes my set of 3 metals in his title and name (Gold, Silver and Billon). However the Khwarezm empire is worth mentioning due to their arrogance bringing about their total annihilation. When the Caliph decided to execute the ambassadors of the Khan, Genghis Khan himself led an expedition to wipe out the Khwarizm Empire which dominated central Asia and Transoxania. The Caliph became a puppet vassal of the Khan before the entire empire was annexed into the horde.

 

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Great trio !
The one below is more in the petty coin category of the early Mongol period. No name, just mentioning "the Just Khan".

 

Thanks.. You have a very cool specimen as well.. I have some others that are attributed to him but not in his name or title.. They were usually citing the Abbasid Caliph and the Kalimah.

 

Execute the ambassadors of Genghis Khan?!!! it was a veeeery bad idea!

 

He was just in the beginning throes of his empire.. the Khwarezm thought they could bully the Mongols.. they were dead wrong

 

Genghis Khan is regarded in Mongolia as a national hero. His portrait is on the banknotes.

 

We will probably never now the exact sequence of affairs a the time. There are even alternative conspiracy theories on the matter. The wildest one i saw in a book called "The secret history of Iran". This states that the murder of the Mongol envoys was part of the machinations of Christian "crypto-Nestorians" infiltrated at the court of 'Ala al-Din Muhammad Khwarezmshah. The intent was that this would provoke the Mongols to attack the Muslim territories from the east, to ease the attacks of the Byzantines from the West to annihilate Islam.

 

I don't know if such a plan existed in the time of Genghis Khan. But such an attempt was made later. In the National Archives in Paris they still keep an official letter sent in 1289 by Arghun, the Mongol Khan of Persia, to the king of France Philip the Fair. A letter of the same kind was sent to the king of England and to the pope, but I don't know if they still have it in London or the Vatican.

The Khan proposes a joint military operation against the Mamluks in Damascus and Egypt. But this projected war was not undertaken.

 

I think the story about the defeat of the Khwarizmshah was just one of the type "He did not lose, he was betrayed by 'fill in the scapegoat' ". We have seen that more often in older and recent history.
The proposal by Arghun could indeed have changed world history. In fact, both the king of England and the Pope responded favorably. But Arghun (who was a Buddhist) died in 1291AD and pope Nicolas IV in the beginning of 1292, preventing realization of the plans.

 

..i have a couple of Mongolian bills..one of these is now owned by @Roman Collector

 

Interesting coins and post @Loong Siew, thanks for sharing. I will add this coin (petty change) from the end of the Kwarezm Empire, issued just before the fall of Kurzuwan, and according to Album once considered an issue of Ghengis Khan.

Khwarezm Shahs from the time of Jalal al-Din Mangubarni b. Muhammad, AH 617-628 / 1220-1231 CE, Æ Jital (3.63), a siege issue from the Kurzuwan mint dated Rabi’ II AH 618 (May-June AD 1221)
Obv: “al-malik” across field; date in outer margin
Rev: Kurzuwan, Kalima in four lines across field "a ilah illa allah / muhammad rasul / allah" translating to : "There is no God but God / Muhammad is the messenger of God"
Ref: Tye 324.1; Album 1971

(correction to any of the above by experts in this thread would be welcome)

 

These are some exceptionally nice and rare Mongol coins in the original post.

My only coin minted for Genghis simply names him "the just khan," similar to the one @THCoins posted above:

Great Mongols, under Genghis (Chingiz) Khan or slightly later, BI “jital,” 1220s/1230s AD, Nimruz (Sistan) mint. Obv: "qa’an / al-‘adil" ('the just khan'). Rev: " zarb i/ nimruz" ('struck in Nimruz'). 14.5mm, 3.42g. Ref: Tye –; Album A1973.

 

GENGHIS KHAN


Great Mongols, Genghis (Chingiz) Khan,
AH 603-624/ AD 1206-1227,
AE Jital (4.12gm, 2h),
Ghazna type, undated, citing Genghis as Khaqan and
citing on the reverse, the 'Abbasid caliph al-Nasir. O: 'adl / khaqan / al-a'zam("the Just and Supreme Khaqan" or "Just [coin] of the Supreme Khaqan"). R: al-Nasir / li-Din Allah / amir al-mu- / -minin ("al-Nasir li-Din Allah, commander of the faithful").
SICA-9, 1008; Tye 329; Album 1969
Ex: David L Tranbarger



Mongolia
1999
1000 Tugriks 7.76g 586 gold
Diamond Eyed Tiger 0.1 karat
MC-001GLH0270

 

@Loong Siew you sure collect some exotic and fascinating stuff.

 

I agree completely. Jim was very generous with his time and knowledge, and a great help to me when I first became interested in Islamic coins in the 1990s.

 

Well the Mongols were not strong a threat during Genghis lifetime to really do that. Many often over exaggerated the extent of his Empire during his lifetime. He died even before he could conquer the Western Xia which meant the extent of his empire hasn't really penetrated into the east yet. It was his next generations which saw the expansion of the empire at least 3 generations forward. It took Hulagu much later before the sack of Baghdad

 

Thanks.. You have also a very significant coin associated with Genghis Khan. In fact yours carry a tragic tale being a seige coin and no survivors were known. very great condition to add with clear and strong margins.. these were ofyen in very bad shape

 

Nice piece!! the legends are very clear and very well preserved.. congrats with this awesome piece too

 

I really like your jital.. very hard to get a specimen as well centred as yours..these are not quiet AE but billon as they were found to contain silver but debased quiet heavily. Awesome specimen !!

 

Thanks.. unfortunately i don't collect much greek or Roman coins like most members here. Living in Asia, my theme is primarily Asian hence probably not very well known or popular to most Western collectors here