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Dirham 'Ornamental type' - anepigraphic Bulghar mint
| Issuer | Golden Horde |
|---|---|
| Year | 1280-1310 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Anepigraphic reverse displaying a large prominent tamga composed of angular geometric elements, featuring two triangular forms connected by a horizontal bar with a small crescent or scroll at the base, enclosed within a broad radiating star-shaped frame of straight lines. Multiple pellets are scattered throughout the field between the arms of the design, mirroring the decorative arrangement of the obverse. The die is boldly struck but shows characteristic irregularities of the hammered flan. No inscriptions or legends appear on this face. |
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| Mint | Bulghar |
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| Additional information |
The "ornamental" or anepigraphic dirhams of the Bulghar mint represent a genuinely puzzling episode in Golden Horde coinage — struck without legible inscriptions at a moment when the khanate's mints were otherwise producing fully-legeneded issues. Whether this reflects a deliberate administrative decision, a workshop operating with limited skilled die-cutters, or coins intended for a specific internal market remains unresolved among specialists. Bulghar itself was the senior Volga trading entrepôt and a natural mint city, but its output was never uniform.
The weight of 1.25g places this below the standard Jochid dirham, suggesting either a local reduced standard or significant die wear by the time these were struck.