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Dirham - Nasr II b. Ahmad Bracteate type
| Issuer | Samanid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 914-943 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by multiple horizontal lines of Kufic Arabic religious legends arranged in five to six registers within a double linear circle. The inscription contains the Islamic profession of faith (Shahada) and honorific formulae typical of Samanid coinage. A marginal legend in Arabic script runs along the inner border within the outer dentilated or annulet rim. The overall design follows the canonical Abbasid-influenced epigraphic dirham format, with no figurative elements, entirely devoted to calligraphic text. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Nasr II's reign saw the Samanid state at its administrative and cultural peak, controlling the eastern caliphate's silver supply through the rich mines of the Panj-Shir valley in modern Afghanistan. The bracteate format — struck on a thin, wide flan from a single die — diverges sharply from the thick, double-sided dirhams standard to Abbasid-influenced coinage, and its precise function within the Samanid monetary system remains debated among specialists.
A#1451 is a Album reference, placing this type within a well-documented but sparsely surviving category. The thinness of the flan makes edge cracks endemic to the type.