Item number: A1886

Year: AD 1809-1826

Material: Copper

Size: 20.7 x 22.2 x 4.3 mm

Weight: 12.75 g

Manufactured by: Balkh, Afghanistan

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a Falus copper coin minted in Balkh, located in present-day northern Afghanistan, during the first half of the 19th century. The obverse features a heart-shaped motif formed by the combination of two curved swords and floral ornaments, surrounded by a circular border with linear patterns.

The reverse of the coin typically includes the minting year, which is positioned in the upper right corner. However, due to the manual cutting and striking process, this specimen does not fully display the date. At the centre, a Persian inscription reads “ضرب ام البلاد بلخ”, which translates to “Struck in the mother of Cities, Balkh.”

Balkh is one of the oldest cities within present-day Afghanistan, with records of human activity and settlement dating back to the 20th century BC. In the 19th century, following the decline of the powerful Durrani Empire, Balkh became a key stronghold for independent Uzbek tribal groups. It remained under their control until AD 1850, when it was conquered by Dost Mohammad Khan, the ruler of Kabul, and subsequently incorporated into the Emirate of Afghanistan.

物件編號: A1886

年代: 公元 1809-1826 年

材質: 銅

尺寸: 20.7 x 22.2 x 4.3 mm

重量: 12.75 g

製造地: 巴爾赫，阿富汗

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚公元19世紀上半葉，位於現今阿富汗北部的巴爾赫鑄造之菲勒斯銅幣。錢幣正面是以兩把彎刀和花飾共同組成的心形圖騰，周圍則以帶有線條的圓形輪廓環繞。

錢幣背面會有年份等資訊，年份的位置會在錢幣的右上角。不過這些錢幣是由人工切割和打印，因此這枚錢幣未能完整打印出年份。正中央則以波斯文打印「ضرب ام البلاد بلخ」意思是「鑄造於眾城之母巴爾赫」。

巴爾赫是阿富汗境內最古老的城市之一，公元前20世紀就有人類活動和定居的紀錄。進入公元19世紀後，隨著強盛的杜蘭尼王朝衰亡後，巴爾赫成為獨立的烏茲別克部落重要的據點，直到公元1850年，方才遭到以喀布爾為首都的多斯特·穆罕默德汗征服，成為阿富汗酋長國的一部分。