Catalog
1/4 Tanka - 'Miri' - Timur Samarqand mint
| Issuer | Timurid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1389 |
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| Currency | Tanka (1370-1507) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field bears a multi-line Naskh legend in three registers identifying the two rulers: '[al-]Sultan Mahmud Khan' in the upper lines and 'Amir Timur Kurkan' in the lower lines. The bold Arabic script fills the entire field, framed by a simple linear or geometric border characteristic of Timurid miri coinage. The irregular hammered flan shows the typical characteristics of late 14th-century Central Asian silver production. |
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| Mintage | 791 (1389) |
| Additional information |
Struck at Samarqand in 1389, this issue falls within the period when Timur — still consolidating control across Central Asia — was reorganizing his monetary administration to project dynastic legitimacy through coinage. The "Miri" denomination designation reflects an administrative classification used within Timurid fiscal practice rather than a term circulating in popular use. Samarqand, as the imperial capital, was the prestige mint; coins struck there carried a political weight that provincial issues simply did not.
SICA 9 remains the primary reference for this series, with specimen 2381 representing one of the better-documented quarter tanka types from this reign year.