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Dirham - Mika'il b. Ja'far Imitating Samanid prototypes - Naysabur mint
| Issuer | Volga Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Year | 921 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Pseudo-Samanid silver dirham struck in the name of Mika'il b. Ja'far, ruler of Volga Bulgaria, imitating the epigraphic style of contemporary Samanid coinage. The obverse field bears a central Arabic religious legend arranged in multiple lines, following the standard Samanid kalam format. The marginal legend includes a mint attribution to Naysabur and a regnal year rendered as 'year eight' (سنة ثمان), tentatively corresponding to 308 AH / 921 CE. The calligraphy is characteristic of the Kufic script tradition prevalent on eastern Islamic dirhams of the early 4th century AH. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse follows the standard Samanid epigraphic dirham format, with a central field containing an Arabic religious or administrative inscription arranged in multiple horizontal lines within a circle. The marginal mint formula, unusually rendered, reads: بنيسابور سنة ثمان ادمر, deviating from the conventional Samanid mint inscription and suggesting a local Volga Bulgarian adaptation or scribal idiosyncrasy. The final word of the mint formula remains uncertain in this context and may represent a Bulgar title or name element, possibly read as اذمن. The overall layout and Kufic calligraphic style closely imitate authentic Samanid prototype dirhams of the period, consistent with the coin's character as a pseudo-Samanid issue. |
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| Mintage | 308 (921) - Naysabur mint |
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