Catalog
Tanka - Shahrukh Mirza Countermarked type
| Issuer | Timurid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1405-1447 |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a multi-line Arabic legend in bold Naskh script, arranged in three or four horizontal registers. The primary inscription comprises the Kalima (Islamic profession of faith): 'La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah' (There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God). The script is deeply struck with characteristic Timurid calligraphic style; the flan is irregular and slightly convex, with portions of the legend occasionally running off the broadly spread fabric. The field is flat and undecorated, with no border or inner circle. |
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| Reverse description | Central field bearing a multi-line Arabic legend in Naskh script, identifying the ruler Shahrukh Mirza with his titles and honorifics, along with mint and date formulae partially visible in the field. A prominent countermark impression is applied over the original die design, partially obscuring underlying legends; this secondary stamp is characteristic of the revalidation practice employed under Shahrukh's monetary reforms. The flan is irregular and broadly spread, with the strike somewhat uneven, as is typical of hammered Timurid silver coinage of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Shahrukh, fourth son of Timur, ruled from Herat for over four decades after consolidating power following the catastrophic succession wars that fragmented the empire after his father's death in 1405. His coinage is notable for the administrative continuity it projects — Shahrukh reinstated orthodox Sunni formulae on his coins after Timur's more eclectic religious positioning, a deliberate political signal to the Khorasani religious establishment whose support he needed. Countermarked examples of this tanka represent revalidation episodes, where existing coin stock was officially restruck or punched to extend its monetary authority without full reminting — a cost-saving measure common during periods of transitional fiscal pressure in the Timurid successor states.