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Falus Lion and Counterstamp Raij
| Issuer | Herat, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1747-1891 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 21 mm |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears an applied counterstamp in the form of a partial lion device facing left, validating the coin's continued currency under the authority of Herat. Within or adjacent to the counterstamp impression, the Arabic word رايج (raij, meaning 'current' or 'in circulation') appears, legitimizing the piece for local trade. The counterstamp is struck into the flat field of the flan, partially overlapping the host coin's design. The surrounding area shows the characteristically rough surface of a hammered copper flan with traces of green patination. |
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| Reverse lettering | رايج , رائج |
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| Additional information |
Herat's copper falus operated outside the controlled hierarchies of the Durrani and later Barakzai administrations in Kabul — the city's semi-autonomous governors struck and counterstamped local coinage on their own authority for much of this period. The raij counterstamp, applied to already-circulating flans, was a practical instrument of revalidation, confirming acceptability in local bazaars without requiring a fresh issue. Herat changed hands violently multiple times across these 144 years, including the Persian siege of 1837–38 and repeated internal power struggles, yet the copper small-change economy carried on with remarkable continuity.