Persia (Post-Mongol). Amirs of Astarabad (Walids). temp. Amir Wali, AH 757-788 / AD 1356-1386. 6 Dirhams (Silver, 31 mm, 4.15 g, 1 h), anonymous type WF, Astarabad, AH 775 = AD 1373/4. Central field, in five lines within a hexafoil: Allāh / lā ilāha illā Allāh / Muḥammad / rasūl Allāh / ʿAlī walī Allāh (‘God / There is no deity but God / Muhammad / is the Messenger of God / ʿAlī is the walī of God’ in Arabic). Margin, benediction upon the Prophet and the Twelve Imams: Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa-ʿAlī wa-l-Ḥasan wa-l-Ḥusayn wa-ʿAlī wa-Muḥammad wa-Jaʿfar wa-Mūsā wa-ʿAlī wa-Muḥammad wa-ʿAlī wa-l-Ḥasan wa-Muḥammad (‘O God, bless Muhammad, ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, ʿAlī, Muḥammad, Jaʿfar, Mūsā, ʿAlī, Muḥammad, ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan and Muḥammad’ in Arabic). Rev. Within central looped quatrefoil: madīna-yi Astarābād (‘The city of Astarabad’ in Persian). Around: fī shuhūr-i sanat-i khams wa-sabʿīn wa-sabʿ-miʾa (‘In the months of the year seven hundred and seventy-five’ in Arabic). Alaeddini 6. Album 2343.2. Nicely toned. Light scratches and some areas of wekaness, otherwise, very fine.


The coinage of the Amirs of Astarabad is anonymous, but is generally attributed to Amīr Walī, who established himself in Astarabad after the fragmentation of Ilkhanid authority. His silver coinage can be confused with contemporary Sarbadar issues, especially because of the shared style and use of Shiʿi formulae and invocations.