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Dirham 'Family type' - anepigraphic Bulghar mint
| Issuer | Golden Horde |
|---|---|
| Year | 1280-1310 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Sagdeeva#98, Sing#158, A#A2020, Zeno cat#6670 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse depicts a seated female figure shown in profile, cradling an infant or small child in her arms, a motif commonly identified in numismatic literature as the 'Family type' and associated with the Bulghar mint production of the late 13th to early 14th century. The figure is rendered in a schematic yet expressive style characteristic of Golden Horde hammered coinage, with visible detail in the head and upper body. The field is otherwise plain with no legends or additional decorative elements, consistent with the anepigraphic classification of this series. The die workmanship reflects provincial mint artistry typical of the Bulghar atelier. |
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| Mint | Bulghar (Bulgar on the Volga) |
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| Additional information |
The "family type" dirhams issued at Bulghar in this period reflect the administrative turbulence of the Golden Horde following the death of Möngke Temür in 1282. A succession of short-reigning khans — Töde Möngke, Töle Buqa, and eventually Toqta — meant that mint masters at Bulghar often continued striking familiar anonymous types rather than retooling dies for rulers whose tenure might prove brief. The anepigraphic design was not carelessness; it was a practical hedge against political instability.
Bulghar remained the northernmost major mint of the Horde and a critical node in the Volga fur trade. The lightness of this specimen — relative to earlier Bulghar dirhams averaging closer to 1.5g — is consistent with a documented weight reduction trend across Horde silver coinage in the late 13th century.