Coins of Uljaytu
Type:
Coins
Date:
1313/14,
1316/17
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Iran
Dimensions:
copper coin: 2.75 cm , 6.91 g,
silver coin: 3.75 cm, 11.4 g
Description:
Ilkhanid coins were struck at over 250 different mints. This copper coin, cast to commemorate the dedication of Uljaytu’s new capital (and future burial site at Sultaniyya, is inscribed in Arabic on the obverse “copper [for the] town and market of Sultaniyya.” The reverse bears the zodiac sign of Scorpio and the date 713 according to the hijra
year, equivalent to 1313/14. This coin differs from other Ilkhanid issues; it seems to have imitated coins produced under the Mongol (Yuan) dynasty in China, which, like earlier Chinese money, had a square hole in the center to facilitate stacking.
Uljaytu’s silver coins changed after he converted from Sunni to Shi’i Islam (he had earlier professed Christianity and Buddhism). The later coins feature the expanded Shi’i version of the shahada in the center of the obverse (it includes the phrase “Ali is the friend of God”). Outside the six-lobed frame are the names of the twelve Shi’i imams. On the reverse, Uljaytu’s titles are enclosed in another six-lobed frame; not only is he “the supreme sultan” and “helper of the world and the faith” but also “king of the necks of the peoples.” Surrounded this are two concentric inscriptions. In the inner circle is the name of the mint and the date, in this case the “city of peace, Baghdad” in the hijra year equivalent to 1316/17. This is the last time the original eighth-century name of Baghdad, Madinat al-Salam, appears on a coin. The outer circle quotes sura 9:112 on proper Muslim beliefs and practices.
Uljaytu’s silver coins changed after he converted from Sunni to Shi’i Islam (he had earlier professed Christianity and Buddhism). The later coins feature the expanded Shi’i version of the shahada in the center of the obverse (it includes the phrase “Ali is the friend of God”). Outside the six-lobed frame are the names of the twelve Shi’i imams. On the reverse, Uljaytu’s titles are enclosed in another six-lobed frame; not only is he “the supreme sultan” and “helper of the world and the faith” but also “king of the necks of the peoples.” Surrounded this are two concentric inscriptions. In the inner circle is the name of the mint and the date, in this case the “city of peace, Baghdad” in the hijra year equivalent to 1316/17. This is the last time the original eighth-century name of Baghdad, Madinat al-Salam, appears on a coin. The outer circle quotes sura 9:112 on proper Muslim beliefs and practices.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
9
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read about the copper coin on the website of the David Collection, Copenhagen.
• Read about the silver coin on the website of the David Collection, Copenhagen.
Image Credits:
The David Collection, Copenhagen; photographs by Pernille Klemp
