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1 Tanka - al-Kamil Khalil b. Ahmad Countermarked
| Issuer | Emirate of Hisn Kayfa (Ayyubid) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1432-1449 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a dense, stylized tree or floral motif rendered in bold relief, with branching elements extending upward and outward. Arabic legends occupy the surrounding field and upper border, arranged in multiple lines consistent with late Ayyubid epigraphic convention. The periphery displays a partial beaded border, characteristic of hammered coinage of the period. The overall die workmanship is robust but irregular, reflecting the artisanal striking technique typical of late medieval Anatolian Islamic issues. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
Hisn Kayfa, the fortress city perched above the Tigris in what is now southeastern Turkey, was among the last Ayyubid holdouts — outlasting the main Syrian Ayyubid sultanates by nearly two centuries. Al-Kamil Khalil b. Ahmad ruled this rump emirate during its terminal decades, as Timurid pressure from the east and Turkmen confederacies hemmed in the dynasty on every side. The countermark on this tanka is the telling detail: it reflects revalidation of coinage already in circulation, a practice that signals monetary stress and disrupted mint output rather than orderly production.