Item number: A1481

Year: AD 995 (AH 385)

Material: Gold

Size: 22.9 x 22.9 mm

Manufactured by: Nishapur, Iran

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This is a gold dinar minted in the year 385 of the Hijri calendar (AD 995) by Sebuktigin, who was then the governor of Ghazni under the Samanid dynasty. In AD 998, Sebuktigin’s son, Mahmud, would formally declare himself Sultan and establish the Ghaznavid dynasty.

The design of the gold coin follows the typical Samanid style. The obverse features a central inscription consisting of five lines of Arabic script. From top to bottom, the inscriptions read: “عدل” (Justice), “لا اله الا” and “الله وحده” (There is no god but Allah, and He alone is the Sovereign), “لا شريك له” (None is comparable to Him), “الولى سيف” (The protector like a sword), and “الدوله محمود” (The state of Mahmud).

Surrounding the central inscription are two circular bands of text. The inner ring reads: “بسم الله ضرب هذا الدينر بنيسابور سنة خمس وثمانين وثلثمائه”, which translates to: “In the name of Allah, this dinar was struck in Nishapur in the year 385 of the Hijri calendar.” Nishapur, located in northeastern Iran, was renowned for producing dinars of the highest purity under the Samanid dynasty.

The outermost ring contains an inscription from the Quran (30:4): “لله الامر من قبل و من بعد ويومئذ یفرح المومنون بنصر الله”, meaning: “To Allah belongs the command before and after. On that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory granted by Allah.”

The reverse side of the gold coin features a central inscription arranged in five lines. From top to bottom, the text reads: “لله” (Allah), “محمد رسول الل” (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), “الطائع لله” (Al-Ta’i Lillah, the 23rd Abbasid Caliph), “الملك المنصور” (The Victorious King, a title used by the Samanid Emirs), and “نوح بن منصور” (Nuh ibn Mansur, the Emir of the Samanid dynasty).

The outer rim of the gold coin features a circular inscription that reads: “محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون”, a verse from the Quran (9:33). It translates as: “He is the One Who has sent His Messenger with ‘true’ guidance and the religion of truth, making it prevail over all others, even to the dismay of the polytheists.”

Sebuktigin was originally a slave who, through his determination and efforts, married the daughter of his master, the governor of Ghazni. He eventually rose to become the semi-independent ruler of Ghazni under the Samanid dynasty. His son, Mahmud, later annexed the Samanid territories and established the Ghaznavid dynasty. Mahmud launched numerous campaigns into northern India, presenting them as jihads, and brought back substantial war spoils. His empire stretched from present-day Iran to regions encompassing Uzbekistan and northern India.

物件編號: A1481

年代: 公元 995 (回曆 385) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 22.9 x 22.9 mm

製造地: 內沙布爾，伊朗

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這是一枚回曆385年 (公元995年)，彼時仍是薩曼王朝轄下的加茲尼總督蘇布克特勤鑄造之金第納爾。公元998年，蘇布克特勤的兒子馬哈茂德將正式自封為蘇丹，開創屬於自己的加茲尼王朝。

金幣的造型為典型的薩曼風格。正面的中央有五行銘文，從上而下分別以阿拉伯文標示「عدل」(正義)、「لا اله الا」和「الله وحده」(萬物非主，唯有真主)、「لا شريك له」(無人能與之比擬)、「الولى سيف」(如劍一般的守護者) 和「الدوله محمود 」(馬哈茂德的國家)。

周圍有兩道環形銘文，較為內圈的內容是「بسم الله ضرب هذا الدينر بنيسابور سنة خمس وثمانين وثلثمائه」，意思是「以真主之名，這枚第納爾於回曆385年在內沙布爾鑄造」。內沙布爾位處伊朗東北方，其生產的第納爾金幣純度是薩曼王朝最為優質的。最外圈的銘文「لله الامر من قبل و من بعد ويومئذ یفرح المومنون بنصر الله」出自《古蘭經30:4》，意思是「於數年之間。以前和以後，凡事歸真主主持。在那日，信道的人將要歡喜」。

金幣背面的中央有五行銘文，從上而下分別是「لله」(阿拉)、「محمد رسول الل」(穆罕默德是真主的使者)、「الطائع لله」(塔伊，阿拔斯帝國第二十三代哈里發)、「الملك المنصور」(勝利的國王，薩曼王朝埃米爾的頭銜) 和「نوح بن منصور」(努阿二世，薩曼王朝的埃米爾)。

金幣周圍有一道環形銘文「محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون」出自《古蘭經9:33》「他曾以正道和真教的使命委託他的使者，以便他使真教勝過一切宗教，即使以物配主者不願意」。

蘇布克特勤原先是一名奴隸，但是憑藉著自身的努力迎娶主人加茲尼總督的女兒，最終成為薩曼王朝半獨立的加茲尼統治者。蘇布克特勤的兒子馬哈茂德後續更併吞薩曼王朝建立加茲尼王朝。馬哈茂德多次向北印度發起聖戰帶回豐碩的戰利品，其領土從今日的伊朗一路延伸至烏茲別克和印度北部之間。