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1/2 Bisti - George XII
| Issuer | Kartli-Kakheti, Kingdom of (1762-1801) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1799 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Crude hammered copper flan displaying a stylized lion passant in profile facing right, rendered in the archaic Georgian tradition typical of late Bagrationi coinage. The lion's body occupies the central field, with a radiant sun or floral device rising above its back, a motif associated with royal authority in the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom. The design is executed in low relief with irregular striking, resulting in flat and off-center areas consistent with hand-hammered production. The field surface is rough and uneven, with no formal border or legend present on this face. The overall artistic style reflects the provincial workshop character of the Tiflis Mint in its final years of operation. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a two-register inscription within a plain rectangular cartouche, executed in a combination of Georgian Asomtavruli and Persian Naskh scripts on a hammered copper field. The upper register bears the Georgian royal name ჂႨ ႭႰႢႨ (Giorgi), identifying the issuing monarch George XII, the last king of Kartli-Kakheti. The lower register contains the Persian legends تفلیس (Tiflis), denoting the mint city, and the Hijri year ١٢١٣ (1213 AH, corresponding to 1799 CE). A horizontal dividing line separates the two registers, a layout characteristic of Georgian copper coinage of this period. The strike is irregular with weak areas toward the flan margins, consistent with the hammered technique employed at the Tiflis Mint. |
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George XII was the last king of Kartli-Kakheti, and this coin was struck just two years before he signed the Treaty of Georgievsk's successor agreement, dissolving the kingdom entirely into the Russian Empire in 1801. He died that same year, rendering the annexation effectively unopposed. Copper small change from this final reign survives in surprisingly varied states — the Tiflis mint operated under considerable administrative strain as Russian influence over the kingdom's institutions tightened throughout the 1790s.