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Irregular copper - Tamar I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Georgia |
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| Year | 1187-1210 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the royal monogram of Queen Tamar rendered in Mkhedruli script, enclosed within a decorative arrangement of six rosettes. A circular marginal legend in Asomtavruli script surrounds the central device, invoking a religious formula and recording the regnal date according to the Georgian Qoronikon era (year 407). The overall composition follows the bilingual Georgian court style characteristic of the Bagrationi dynasty at its zenith. |
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| Obverse lettering | თ-ამა-რ †ႱႾႪႧႠ ႶႧႠ ႨႵႬႠ ႽႤႣႠႨ ႥႺႾႪႱႨ ႠႫႱ ႵႰႩႬႱ ჃႦ (Translation: T-ama-R † In the name of God, this coin was struck in the year 407 of the Qoronikon;) |
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| Additional information |
Tamar's copper issues are notoriously inconsistent in fabric, a product of decentralized minting across a kingdom expanding rapidly through military campaigns into Armenia, Anatolia, and the northern Caucasus. The Tbilisi mint operated under pressure to supply coinage for an economy growing faster than its administrative infrastructure could manage, and weight standards were treated as approximate at best.
Tamar remains the only woman to have ruled Georgia in her own right, crowned in 1184 and later given the male title "Mepe" — king — in official documents and on coinage itself.