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Dirham 'Fish type' - anepigraphic Bulghar mint
| Issuer | Golden Horde |
|---|---|
| Year | 1280-1310 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A stylized tamga device occupies the central field, enclosed within two concentric circles. The interstitial band between the circles is decorated with a simplified border of pseudo-Greek or ornamental motifs, rendered in a schematic, provincial style characteristic of early Golden Horde coinage. The overall design is anepigraphic, bearing no inscriptions. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the periphery, consistent with hammered manufacture. |
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| Reverse description | A single fish depicted in profile, facing left, rendered in a bold and schematic style typical of anepigraphic Golden Horde issues attributed to the Bulghar mint. The fish fills the central field, with clearly delineated fins and a rounded body indicated by simple relief contours. Scattered pellets appear near the dorsal fin area, likely representing scales or a decorative convention. The reverse is entirely anepigraphic. The flan edges are irregular, consistent with hammered production of the period. |
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| Additional information |
The "fish type" anepigraphic dirhams of Bulghar occupy a peculiar corner of Golden Horde numismatics — produced without inscriptions at a moment when the khanate's monetary administration was still negotiating between inherited Mongol traditions and the Islamic coinage conventions it was gradually adopting. The absence of text was not a primitive oversight but likely a deliberate choice for a regional or functionally specific emission, possibly tied to the Volga trade networks where Bulghar served as a major commercial node.
The Sagdeeva and Singer references place this type firmly within a transitional window following Möngke Temür's reign, when Bulghar mint output diversified considerably in type and weight standard.