Catalog
Larin / Tawilah
| Issuer | Bani Khalid Emirate |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Billon |
| 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 | Reverse of the folded larin presenting the inner fold seam running longitudinally along the length of the piece, with the characteristic compressed and slightly flattened profile typical of Gulf larin coinage. Faint die impressions of Arabic legend are present but largely indistinct owing to the folded and rounded form of the planchet. The surface exhibits the dark billon patina and irregular texture associated with hammered circulation issues of the Bani Khalid Emirate. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND |
| Additional information |
The larin form — wire coiled into a fishhook shape — originated in southern Iran and spread across Gulf trade routes as a practical medium for merchants who could test purity by straightening and biting the metal. The Bani Khalid, who dominated the al-Ahsa region of eastern Arabia through the 17th and 18th centuries, issued these as a regional adaptation of that itinerant currency tradition. Billon content varied considerably across Gulf larin issues, and this piece's silver-copper mix places it firmly in the debased end of the spectrum — a pragmatic response to chronic bullion shortages along the Arabian coast.