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Fals - Nasr I b. Ahmad
| Issuer | Samanid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 864-892 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a further multi-line Kufic Arabic inscription in the central field, likely naming the Samanid amir Nasr I b. Ahmad and invoking caliphal authority, surrounded by a partial marginal legend. The die is struck off-center on the irregular flan, a common characteristic of hammered Samanid fals coinage. The overall fabric and style are consistent with eastern Islamic copper issues of the second half of the 9th century CE. |
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| Reverse lettering | نصر بن أحمد |
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| Additional information |
Nasr I consolidated Samanid authority as a vassal of the Abbasid caliphate, governing Transoxiana from Samarkand after his appointment in 875. Copper fals of this period were minted locally to serve the bazaar economy that the silver dirham circuit ignored — small transactions in grain markets, artisan quarters, bathhouses. The denomination was never prestigious, and most examples were hoarded only by accident.
Attribution of individual fals to specific mints within the Samanid realm remains difficult; die studies are incomplete and mint signatures on copper issues of this reign are frequently struck off-center or partially legible.