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Dirham - Mas'ud b. Hasan
| Issuer | Western Qarakhanid Khaganate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1161-1171 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.77 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears a multi-line Arabic religious legend arranged in horizontal registers within a square or cartouche frame, typical of Qarakhanid coinage. The inscription includes the shahada or other pious formulae in angular Kufic script with foliated or plaited embellishments. A circular marginal legend in Arabic script runs around the inner border, partially visible on this irregular flan. The overall die design follows the epigraphic tradition characteristic of Central Asian Islamic dynasties of the 12th century. The coin exhibits heavy wear and surface porosity consistent with billon alloy and prolonged circulation. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The Western Qarakhanid Khaganate by the 1160s was operating as a vassal state under Qara Khitai overlordship, following the Khitans' decisive defeat of the Qarakhanids at the Battle of Qatwan in 1141. Mas'ud b. Hasan's issues reflect this subordination — Qarakhanid khans of this period were permitted to mint in their own names but remained effectively client rulers, a political reality sometimes encoded in the coin's acknowledgment of overlord authority.
The billon composition is consistent with the monetary degradation across Central Asian minting in this period, as silver content in regional dirhams declined steadily through the twelfth century.