Lot #669: Rare Ilkhanid Two Dirhams Silver Coin (1337–1353 AD) - Ṭaghāy Tīmūr - House of Genghis Khan - Khorasan - Eastern Iran

Obverse: Features a Hexagon (six-sided polygon) with loops and knots. The Obverse text contains the name and titles of Ṭaghāy Tīmūr. Because he was a descendant of Genghis Khan’s brother, his legitimacy was tied to his Mongol lineage. Reverse: Features a Hexagon (six-sided polygon) with loops and knots. The Reverse text typically contains the Kalimah (Islamic profession of faith), signifying that the Mongol rulers had fully embraced Islam by this period. The name of the city where the coin was struck is usually found in the small segments between the hexagon and the rim. This Ilkhanid Two Dirhams Coin is a fascinating artifact from a chaotic period of Mongolian-Persian history. It was struck between AD 1337 and AD 1353 under Ṭaghāy Tīmūr (also known as Togha Temür), the last major claimant to the Ilkhanid throne after the central authority of the Mongol Empire in Persia began to fracture in the mid-14th century. Ṭaghāy Tīmūr (died December 1353) was a claimant to the throne of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century. Of the many individuals who attempted to become Il khan after the death of Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan in 1337, TṬaghāy Tīmūr was the last major candidate who was of the house of Genghis Khan. This Ilkhanid silver coin represents the later synthesis of Mongol power and Persian Islamic culture. The Ilkhanid dynasty was famous for its complex and beautiful geometric coin designs. Unlike the simple circles found on modern coins, this Dirham uses nested polygons to organize its text. Like the Umayyad One Fals coin offered in Lot #668, this Ilkhanid Two Dirhams Coin was struck by hand, resulting in a unique, slightly irregular shape for every specimen. The melt value of this Silver is about 4.50, but its numismatic value is much greater. Dimensions: Silver. 17 mm 1.3 g Pickup category timeslot {A}