Catalog
Irregular copper - Tamar I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Georgia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1187-1210 |
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| Currency | Drachm |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents five lines of Arabic naskh script in the central field, conveying the full royal titulature of Queen Tamar. A continuous circular Arabic legend frames the central inscription, separated by a linear border. The text identifies Tamar as the great queen, glory of the world and of the faith, daughter of Giorgi, and champion of the Messiah, reflecting the bilingual Georgian-Islamic chancellery tradition. The hammered flan imparts a characteristically uneven surface with moderate die relief. The image shown appears to be the reverse of this coin. |
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| Reverse lettering | ألملكة ألمعظمة خلال الدنيا و الدین تامار بنت گيورگى ظهير المسيح اعز الله انصاره Circular legend : الله جلالها و مدّ ظلالها واید اقبالها ضاعف (Translation: The great queen glory of the world and faith Tamar, daughter of Giorgi champion of the Messiah may God increase his victories Circular legend: May God increase her glory and lengthen her shadow and strengthen her beneficence!) |
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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.