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Dirham - Nasr II b. Ahmad
| Issuer | Samanid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 914-943 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field contains the Islamic profession of faith (Shahada) in multiple lines of bold Kufic script, arranged concentrically within a single-line inner circle. A marginal legend in Kufic Arabic runs continuously around the outer annulus, separated from the central area by a plain linear border. The flan is irregular and slightly uneven in thickness, typical of hand-struck Islamic silver coinage of the 4th century AH. The die is well-centered and the legends are sharply struck with characteristic angular Kufic letterforms. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Nasr II's reign marked the cultural apex of Samanid rule, when Bukhara functioned as one of the Islamic world's premier intellectual centers — Ibn Sina was born into this milieu, and the court actively patronized Persian literary production that would shape the language for centuries. The Samanid dirham was the dominant trade coin across the eastern caliphate and deep into the Eurasian steppe, with enormous hoards recovered from Scandinavia to the Volga basin attesting to its reach along the fur-and-silver routes.
Dies were produced at multiple mints simultaneously, including Samarqand, Balkh, and Nishapur, making mint attribution the primary variable among survivors.