Lot 4100

Description

Khwarizmshahs, `Ala al-din Muhammad, (A.H. 596-617) (A.D. 1200-1220), billon dirham, no mint, or date, (prototype for some dirhams of Ghengiz Khan), (A.1721, cf.M.905), others struck in copper as jital, nd, (A.1727 (3, one holed), another with rosette in circle in centre (A.1728). Some off centre, otherwise fine to very fine, some rare. (5)

ex Steve Album private purchase 1979 (3). Others ex Glendining's 1964. The Khwarizmshahs were a Turkish dynasty, initially Seljuq governors in Khwarizm (region of Oxus and Jaxartes rivers), who put together an empire. Some rulers never issued coinage. They were independent from A.H. 533 and survived until A.H. 628 (A.D. 1231). They were expelled from this area by Ghengiz Khan.