Catalog
Denga - Vasily I Dmitriyevich Beast right / Arabic legend
| Issuer | Moscow, Grand principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Cyrillic |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a simplified Arabic inscription in Kufic script, arranged within a square cartouche or frame that subdivides the field into registers, a layout directly derived from contemporary Mongol-Tatar coinage of the Golden Horde. The legend, heavily distorted and abbreviated by the Muscovite die-cutter, references Sultan Toktamysh Khan. The geometric compartmentalization of the script gives the reverse a highly stylized, almost abstract appearance. This imitative design reflects the political and commercial relationship between the Muscovite principality and the Golden Horde during the reign of Vasily I. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Vasily I ruled Moscow from 1389 to 1425, and his denga coinage reflects the political reality of that reign with unusual frankness: the Arabic inscriptions on these coins were not decorative exoticism but a direct acknowledgment of Mongol suzerainty, mimicking Tatar script conventions to signal legitimacy within the Golden Horde's tributary system. The practice was inherited from his father Dmitry Donskoy and persisted well into Vasily's reign even as Muscovite political confidence slowly grew. HP II#1357 distinguishes multiple die combinations within this type — the A/C pairing places this among the better-documented varieties.