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Denga - Vasily I Dmitriyevich Head right / Arabic legend imitation
| Issuer | Moscow, Grand principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1400-1412 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Cyrillic |
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| Reverse description | A pseudo-Arabic or imitation Kufic legend fills the entire reverse field, consisting of flowing cursive strokes and pellets arranged to simulate Tatar script, a convention widely employed on early Muscovite dengas reflecting the political and monetary influence of the Golden Horde. The inscription is non-legible as genuine Arabic and serves purely as a decorative imitation. The die-struck surface is irregular and slightly flan-cracked, consistent with hammered wire-money production of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Vasily I inherited Moscow's minting apparatus from Dmitry Donskoy, who had introduced coinage to the principality only in the 1370s — within living memory when these pieces were struck. The Arabic legend on the reverse is not functional text but a garbled imitation of Tatar script, a direct holdover from the period when Muscovite princes issued coins bearing the names of Golden Horde khans as a gesture of political submission. By Vasily's reign that submission was loosening, but the design habit persisted long after the diplomatic necessity had faded.