Mongols. Great Khans. temp. Ögedei, AH 624-639 / AD 1227-1241. Dinar (Gold, 24 mm, 2.06 g, 2 h), Samarqand, Date unclear. Decorative motif above; within a circle, in four lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka / lahū (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Illegible marginal inscription. Rev. Above: Samarqand. Within a circle, in four lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka / lahū (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Illegible marginal inscription. Album B1967 (attributed to Chingiz Khan). Very rare. Weakly struck, slightly bent and small flan faults on the edge, otherwise, very fine.



This remarkable issue belongs to the earliest phase of Mongol gold coinage struck in Transoxiana during or shortly after the conquests of Chingiz Khan. Coins of this period reflect the rapid adaptation of the Mongol administration to the established Islamic monetary traditions of Central Asia, particularly in important urban and commercial centres such as Samarqand.

Gold dinars attributed to the earliest Mongol period are extremely rare, especially identifiable examples from Samarqand. Their often weakly struck and irregular fabric reflects the turbulent monetary conditions that accompanied the Mongol expansion across the Islamic East during the early 7th century AH.