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Dirham 'Ornamental type' - anepigraphic Bulghar mint
| Issuer | Golden Horde |
|---|---|
| Year | 1280-1310 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Dirham / Dang / Yarmag (0.7) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field displays a three-petalled floral or trefoil motif rendered in a geometric-stylized manner, enclosed within a triangular frame with rounded terminals. Three additional curvilinear floral or scroll ornaments radiate outward between and around the outer points of the central device, filling the field in a symmetrical arrangement. The overall composition is purely ornamental and anepigraphic, consistent with the decorative typology of anonymous Golden Horde dirhams attributed to the Bulghar mint. The irregular flan and variable strike are characteristic of hammered coinage of this series. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Bulghar (Bulgar) |
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| Additional information |
The "ornamental" or anepigraphic dirhams of the Bulghar mint represent a production anomaly within Golden Horde coinage — struck without inscriptions at a time when the khanate's mints were otherwise churning out fully legible religious and dynastic legends. Whether this reflects a deliberate administrative decision, a shortage of skilled die-cutters, or coins intended for a specific local exchange function remains debated. Bulghar on the Volga was one of the oldest and most commercially active mints in the region, predating Mongol control entirely.