Item number: A1343

Year: AD 1468-1496

Material: Gold

Size: 13.2 x 13.2 mm

Weight: 3.39 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This is a gold Ashrafi coin minted during the reign of Qaitbay, a ruler of the Burji dynasty in Egypt, between AD 1468 and AD 1496.

The design of this coin adheres to the typical aesthetic of Burji dynasty gold coins, featuring geometric wave patterns used to segment the inscriptions. The obverse inscription of the coin bears the ruler’s title and name, “السلطان الملك الاشرف” (Al-Sultan Al-Malik Al-Ashraf), referring to the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf, while the reverse displays the familiar Islamic Shahada inscriptions, “لا اله الا الله” (There is no deity but Allah) and “محمد رسول الله” (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

The Burji dynasty, part of Egypt’s historical “Mamluk” period, was established by Circassian mercenaries from the Caucasus region. The term “Mamluk” originates from the Abbasid period and refers to Turkic-speaking mercenaries from Central Asia. A hallmark of the Burji dynasty was its short-lived reigns and frequent coups.

Qaitbay, the 18th Sultan of the Burji dynasty, presided over one of the longest and most stable reigns in the dynasty’s history. His rule was marked by extensive patronage of public architectural projects, solidifying his legacy as a key figure in the development of Mamluk architecture.

物件編號: A1343

年代: 公元 1468-1496 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 13.2 x 13.2 mm

重量: 3.39 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2024

這是一枚公元1468至1496年間，統領埃及的布爾吉王朝統治者，嘎伊特貝伊任內鑄造的阿什拉菲金幣。

這枚錢幣的外觀符合典型的布爾吉王朝金幣設計，即採納幾何的波浪圖騰作為銘文的分段區別。錢幣正面的銘文為統治者頭銜和名字「السلطان الملك الاشرف」 (馬木路克蘇丹阿什拉夫)，背面則是穆斯林熟悉的清真言「لا اله الا الله」和「محمد رسول الله」即「萬物非主，唯有真主，穆罕默德是真主的使者」。

布爾吉王朝是埃及歷史上稱作「馬木路克」的統治時期，馬木路克一詞源自阿拔斯帝國時期來自中亞的突厥語系雇傭兵，布爾吉王朝正是來自高加索地區的切爾克斯雇傭兵建立的政權。短命統治和頻繁政變是布爾吉王朝的一大特色。

嘎伊特貝伊是第十八任蘇丹，其統治是布爾吉王朝最為長期和穩定的時間，任內以大舉贊助公共建築工程出名。