Item number: A2043

Year: AD 855-1010

Material: Silver

Size: 10.3 x 9.8 x 0.4 mm

Weight: 0.5 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a low-denomination damma silver coin, dated between AD 855 and AD 1010, issued by the Islamic polity of the Emirate of Multan, located in present-day Pakistan. The coin was produced using traditional South Asian striking techniques and is notably lightweight, weighing only 0.5 grams.

The damma silver coins issued by the Emirate of Multan represent the earliest examples of Islamic-style coinage on the Indian subcontinent, while simultaneously preserving elements of traditional Indian minting conventions.

The obverse of these coins typically features a central triangular motif formed by three pellets. Along the upper edge appears a stylised Brāhmī inscription “शी,” a Hindu honorific title meaning “Great King,” traditionally bestowed upon rulers. The sides of the triangle are similarly adorned with decorative Brāhmī characters, while the lower portion bears Arabic inscriptions denoting the name of Allah and the reigning authority.

The reverse is encircled by a ring of pellets, with two lines of Brāhmī script at the centre that convey the governor’s official title.

Prior to the Arab invasions of the 7th century, Multan was a significant centre of Buddhist worship on the Indian subcontinent. During the Tang dynasty, the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Tang Sanzang) visited the city on his pilgrimage to India and recorded that its temples were lavishly adorned with gold. Following the 7th-century conquest of Multan by the Umayyad Caliphate, which brought Islam to the region, the city’s wealth—particularly its abundance of gold—left a strong impression on the new rulers. Multan subsequently emerged as a key frontier outpost for Islamic expansion into the Indian subcontinent.

物件編號: A2043

年代: 公元 855-1010 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 10.3 x 9.8 x 0.4 mm

重量: 0.5 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚公元855至1010年之際，坐落於今巴基斯坦境內的伊斯蘭政權木爾坦酋長國，以南亞次大陸傳統的敲製工法鑄造的達瑪小面額銀幣。錢幣的重量十分輕薄，僅有0.5克。

木爾坦酋長國鑄造的達瑪銀幣，是南亞次大陸最早的伊斯蘭風格錢幣，並且同時保留印度傳統的鑄幣風格。錢幣的正面通常在正中央有三粒珠點組成的三角形，上緣則有一個經過設計的婆羅米文字「शी」，即印度教賦予統治者的頭銜「大王」。三角形的左右兩側同樣以波羅米文裝飾，下方則改以阿拉伯銘文標示「阿拉」和時任統治者的名諱。錢幣背面則有環繞的珠圈，正中央有兩行波羅米銘文，內容是總督的頭銜。

木爾坦在公元7世紀阿拉伯人入侵以前，是南亞次大陸重要的佛教信仰中心。唐朝之際唐三藏前往印度取經時曾經拜訪，並且留下當地的寺廟以大量的黃金裝飾的紀錄。當公元7世紀，信奉伊斯蘭教的伍麥亞帝國征服木爾坦後，也對於當地豐富的黃金留下深刻的印象，並且逐漸成為伊斯蘭政權向南亞次大陸展開征服的重要前哨基地。