Mongols. Great Khans. Möngke, AH 649-658 / AD 1251-1260. Dirham (Silver, 24 mm, 2.74 g, 8 h), ornament and crude star type, Tiflis (Tbilisi), AH 653, Shawwāl = AD November 1255. Within a dotted square, in three lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahu / lā sharīka lahu (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Crude star and designs in the center. Margin: sanat thalāth / [khamsīn] / wa-sitt miʾa / Shawwāl (‘Year six hundred and fifty-thee, Shawwāl’ in Arabic). Rev. Within a dotted square, in three lines: Mūngke qāʾān / al-aʿẓam / al-ʿādil (‘Möngke Qaʾan / the supreme / the just’ in Arabic). Central winged ornament. Margin: hādhā al-dir / ham-i / ḍuriba / Tiflīs (‘This dirham was struck in Tiflīs’ in Arabic).. Album 1977. Cf. Bennett 22 & 23 (hybrid of both types). Lightly toned. Small areas of weakness and a minor flan fault on the edge, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


The dirhams of Möngke struck at Tiflīs display a remarkable variety of ornamental devices and control marks. The present specimen is particularly interesting because its design combines features associated with two separate varieties recorded by Bennett (types 22 and 23), suggesting an intermediate or hybrid engraving tradition at the mint.