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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) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a bold geometric design in which a circle at the centre is intersected by four raised lines extending to the coin's edge, dividing the field into four equal quadrants. Each quadrant contains a group of seven raised pellets arranged in a loose cluster. A small central pellet or boss occupies the inner circle. The composition is entirely ornamental and anepigraphic, consistent with the decorative Bulghar mint series of the Golden Horde period. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Bulghar (Bulgar) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The "ornamental" or anepigraphic dirhams of the Bulghar mint occupy an awkward place in Golden Horde numismatics — they carry no legible inscriptions, which has made attribution contentious for decades. Sagdeeva and Singer both list them, but their precise issuing authority remains debated. Bulghar, on the middle Volga, was the dominant commercial and minting center of the western steppe before Sarai eclipsed it, and these pieces likely circulated in the fur and slave trade routes running north toward the Ural region.
The anepigraphic nature may reflect a deliberate choice for a multilingual trading population, or simply a die-cutter working outside orthodox administrative oversight.