The Silk Road is not a single road, but rather a network of routes extending from the Far East to Europe, including such storied cities as Alexandria, Tyre, Samarkand, Herat, and Xanadu. One cannot overstate the impact of the Silk Road on the cultural exchange between East and West. Trade along these routes—essentially a highway between two of the world’s largest empires (China and Rome) running through a third (Persia)—contributed to the cultural development of China, India, Persia, Arabia, north Africa, and all of Europe. The Silk Road became more than crude caravan tracks in the second century BCE, when Zhang Qian, an emissary of the Han Dynasty, made the trek across the deserts of western China and through the Hindu Kush mountains to what is today Afghanistan. Learning of new lands to the west, he convinced Emperor Wu to expand Chinese trade routes. By the time Marco Polo set upon his famous journey to Asia in 1271, the Silk Road was at its peak. Only when Vasco de Gama became the first explorer to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in the late fifteenth century did the Silk Road’s influence begin to wane, as Europeans traders took to the quicker, less dangerous sea route to India. The name “Silk Road,” coined by the German academic Ferdinand von Richthofen a century and a half ago, is somewhat inaccurate. Silk was not a major commodity until it became fashionable in Rome, where it was worth its weight in gold (The Roman Senate, in fact, tried to ban the material, on the grounds that its purchase was depleting the imperial gold reserves); by then, the Silk Road had been operating for centuries. Indeed, the highway facilitated the exchange of almost anything: nephrite jade and lapis lazuli and silk, music and art and poetry, Christianity and Buddhism and Islam. Genghis Khan used the route in his conquests of the early 1200s, and it was the Silk Road traders who carried the Black Death to Asia in the 1347. The decline of the Silk Road was marked. The once-bustling streets of the Silk Road are empty and the cities that sprung up along the route are ruins buried in the sand. Many of these ancient places are known only by the coins they left behind.

ANCIENT COINS OF THE SILK ROAD 20 Bronze Coin Collections

1. China Qin Ban Liang Cash Coin 2-4th BCE

Western Han/Pan Liang The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, and its long reign is regarded as China’s Golden Age. To this day, China's majority ethnic group refers to itself as the Han people. It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. Through the reign of the Han, various important milestones took place: the proclamation of Confucianism as the national religion; great developments in trade and industry, most notably silk and tea; and the implementation of the Silk Road, which opened trade with western civilizations. The Han Empire improved the design of earlier cash coins by using a definite rim, which prevented the unscrupulous from shaving bits of metal from the edges. Coin design changed little during the 700 years of Han influence.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and

not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country China

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

475-221 BC

Mixed

Cash

Copper

1.7-3 g

22.3-25 mm

0.05-1.2 mm

Obverse Chinese characters

Reverse Blank

2. Bactria: AE Squares, 2nd - 1st BCE

Bactria: Indo-Greek Kings, The Indo-Greek kingdom or sometimes Graeco-Bactrian kingdom covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other. The kingdom was founded when the Graeco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded India early in the second century BCE; in this context the boundary of "India" is the Hindu Kush. The Greeks in India were eventually divided from the Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom centered in Bactria (now the border between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan). During the two centuries of their rule, the Indo-Greek kings combined the Greek and Indian languages and symbols, as seen on their coins, and blended ancient Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious practices, as seen in the archaeological remains of their cities and in the indications of their support of Buddhism, pointing to a rich fusion of Indian and Hellenistic influences. The Indo-Greeks ultimately disappeared as a political entity around 10 CE following the invasions of the Indo-Scythians.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country Northern India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

160-145 BCE

Mostly Menander

AE Square Chalkos

Bronze

2-8.8 g

Sm: 11 x 10.58 mm/ Lg: 24 x 24.5 mm

0.29-0.35 mm

Obverse Head of elephant

Reverse Club, flanked by monograms

3. Judea Leptons 1st BCE

Judea “Widow’s Mites” Twice in the Gospels, in Luke and Mark, we hear the Parable of the Widow’s Mites—a tale of charity and humility told by Jesus in the last days of His life. Jesus watches rich men in flowing gowns put pieces of silver into the treasury—generous offerings to the Temple. Then he watches an old woman, a certain widow, deposit two “mites” into the till. He observes that “this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:41-44). The parable, repeated in Luke 21:1-4, is understood to both extol the virtues of charity and impugn the vices of avarice. The “widow’s mites” mentioned in the Scriptures are thought to be small bronze coins struck during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, one of the last Jewish kings before the Roman annexation of Palestine. These coins were the smallest and lowest denomination coin circulated throughout the Holy Land during the lifetime of Jesus Christ. The lepton’s feature images of an anchor on one side and an eight-pointed star or wheel on the other.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country Judea

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

103-76 BCE

Alexander Jannaeus

Leptons

Bronze

0.9-1.2 g

12.5-15 mm

1.5-1.7 mm

Obverse Star

Reverse Anchor

4. Sunga ½ Karshapana 1st BCE-1st CE

India: Sunga Kingdom With the fall of Mauryas, India lost its political unity. Pushyamitra Sunga became the ruler of the Magadha and neighboring territories. The north-western regions comprising Rajputana, Malwa and Punjab passed into the hands of the foreign rulers. The kingdom of Pushyamitra was extended up to Narmada in the south, and controlled Jalandhar and Sialkot in the Punjab in the north-western regions. Pushyamitra died after ruling for 36 years (187-151 BC). He was succeeded by his son Agnimitra. Agnimitra used to hold his court in the city of Vidisa, modern Besnagar in Eastern Malwa. The power of the Sungas gradually weakened. It is said that there were ten Sunga kings. The most important aspect of cast copper coins is that they do not contain any signs of any king or dynasty. Thus their designs hardly indicated any change. Among the common symbols used in cast copper coins are animal and folk or religious symbols. The animals represented in the symbols are elephant, horse, camel, bullhead and snake (or river). Religious symbols include a three-arched figure with crescent (chaitya), cross, 'tree in railing' (or Bodhi-druma), swastika, a ladder, and a triangle-headed standard (Indraddhaja or Maitraka). The coins were prepared by pouring molten metal into a shallow mold made of burnt clay. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

150 BCE-C 100

Mixed rulers

½ Karshapana

Bronze

1-4.4 g

15 x 13 mm

3-4.3 mm

Obverse Elephant and symbols

Reverse Cross, three arched hill, railed tree

5. China Hsin Huo Quan Cash Coin 1st CE

China: Wang Mang Wang Mang was the founder of a short-lived dynasty replacing the Western Han. Born into a distinguished family, he became regent to the throne in 8 CE. He was soon dismissed but was able to out maneuver members of the imperial Han family and ascended the throne himself a year later. He is known in Chinese history as The Usurper. Wang Mang realized that the greatest threat to security was the excessive power of the landowners. To combat this, he claimed all land for the state, and distributed it among the peasants, forbidding its sale or purchase. But the landowners resisted and as many civil servants were themselves landowners, there was no one to put the reforms into effect. The peasants again revolted, the most dangerous that of the 'Red Eyebrows', so called because they colored their eyebrows red to mark their membership in a secret society. Widespread destruction followed, but the combined forces of landowners and supporters of the Han dynasty suppressed the rebellion and restored the Han to power in 25 CE.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country China

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 7-22

Hsin Huo Quan

Cash

Copper

1.9-3.4 g

21-23.5 mm

1.2-2 mm

Obverse Two fish

Reverse Blank

6. India: Kushan Drachm, 1-2nd CE

India: Kushan Empire The Yueh-Chihs were a nomadic horde belonging to the Xiongnu confederacy—the Great Wall of China was built to repulse their advances. One of the five Yueh-Chih tribes, the Kueh Shen, or Kushanas, overpowered the others and founded the Kushan state. In the first century they invaded what is now India and established a remarkable and distinguished dynasty of ancient India, both culturally and territorially. They grew wealthy controlling trade centers on the Silk Road. Their coins incorporate Greek designs and often use a corrupted Greek alphabet in the legends. This bronze drachm circulated widely in the region. The Kushans abandoned the Indo-Greek silver and bronze coinage with its bilingual legends, and introduced a new gold and bronze coinage with legends written in their own language. This coin system was better suited for use with the Roman coins that had been brought to India through sea trade with Roman Egypt. The Kushan kings replaced the Greek portraits of kings and gods with their own designs, and although they still used Greek script on the coins, it was used to write their own language, Bactrian.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 30-190

Kushan Kings

Drachm

Bronze

5.3-12.8 g

20.5-23.5 mm

2.56-4.5 mm

Obverse King in Kushan dress

Reverse Deity

7. India: Narwar Kakini Fraction, 3-4th CE

India: Nagas of Narwar The Nagas of Narwar occupied Mathura in 200-340 CE. In this period there was trade between India and Rome of spices and gold. Nine different Naga kings were the offshoot of the Gupta Empire, and ruled an area in the northern India which roughly corresponded to the later areas of Bharatpur, Dholpur, Gwalior and a part of Bhundelkhand. The Nagas issued a small number of bronze coins of various denominations (1, 1/2 and 1/4 kakini), all relatively scarce. The obverses on these coins are a humped bull standing left within a dotted circle and the reverses have an inscription in Brahmin script.

Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may

vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 200-340

Naga Kings

Kakini

Bronze

0.5-2 g

7.5-9 mm

1.57-3.5 mm

Obverse Bull standing left

Reverse Brahmin script

8. India: Kushanshah Drachm 3-4th CE

India: Kushano-Sasanians The Kushano-Sasanians occupied Bactria, Kapisa and Gandhara as successors of the Kushans from the third to the mid-fourth century. The coins they issued show influence of both Kushan and Sasanian coins. The Sasanians drove the Kushans out of Bactria in the early third century, and established their own so-called Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom, installing Sasanian princes as local kings. They were granted special permission to issue their own coinage consisting of gold staters and small bronze coins after the fashion of the Kushan bi-metallic currency. The coinage issued by King Hormizd at the main mint in Merv follow the coin types of the royal Sasanians. The bust, hair style and beard of Hormizd resemble those of the Sasanian kings in southern Iran. However, the crown types are different from those of the Sasanian king of kings. The Kushano-Sasanian crowns lack the corymbos, the globe-shaped crown emblem of the king of kings. The symbolic crown types of the royal Sasanians were imitated by the Kushano-Sasanians, who futher decorated their crowns with palmettes and lotus flowers, combined with the head of a lion or ram. These motifs may symbolize Zoroastrian deities; on the reverse of these coins is the fire altar significant to Zoroastrian sun worship. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 230-360

Kushanshah Kings

Drachm

Bronze

1.6-4 g

14.8-18 mm

1.6-3.5 mm

Obverse King with head dress

Reverse Zoroastrian sun worship

9. Rome Empire Nummus 4th CE

Rome: Valentinian I Valentinian was a stout, brave, rough man of limited education but strong faith, a soldier named emperor. As soon as he reached Constantinople, he divided the empire with his brother Valens, whom he left to rule the East, while he himself went to govern the West, chiefly from Milan. Emperors by now were not fond of living at Rome, partly because the remains of the Senate interfered with their full grandeur, and partly because there were old customs that were anathema to the Christian faith. When he was angry he could be cruel; it is said he kept two bears to which criminals were thrown. Roman coins circulated throughout the empire, which stretched from Britain to the border of Persia. They were minted in vast quantities for everyday transactions and often circulated for long periods of time. Most Roman coins feature the head of the roman emperor on the obverse. The reverse types are varied reflecting history and mythology. The most common themes are military reflecting the political dominance of the roman army. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Rome

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 364-375

Valentinian I

Nummus

Bronze

1.7-3.4 g

13.8-19.5 mm

1.3-2.1 mm

Obverse Portrait of Valentinian I

Reverse Various military or religious themes

10. Byzantine Empire 40 Nummi 7th CE

Byzantium: Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was the predominantly Greek-speaking continuation of the eastern half of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), originally known as Byzantium. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Under the ineffectual rule of the Emperor Phocas (602-610), the hinterlands of the empire began to break down. The pagan Slavs repulsed the Byzantines from the Balkans, and the hated Persians threatened to invade from the north. In 610, Phocas was ousted in a coup by Heraclius, who personally beheaded his predecessor and had his mutilated body paraded through the streets of Constantinople. The chaotic and desperate history of the Byzantine Empire of this period is evident in its coinage. In bronze coins, such as this nummus, the standards of production collapsed, over striking became a general rule, and weights slipped downward. Old established mints disappeared as a result of war and enemy encroachment, and new, less precise mints sprung up as needed. The coinage became incredibly crude. The Byzantines introduced several bronze denominations—the 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-nummi bronze coins, the last of which was called a follis. While very few of the gold coins survived the passing of the centuries, the bronze 40-nummi coins, like this one, can still be found occasionally in remarkably good condition. The obverses of the 40-nummi coins feature a stylized portrait of the emperor, sometimes with a co-emperor, an heir, or other members of the imperial family. The reverses show the denomination, in the Greek numbering system (M=40, K=20, I=10, E=5), and the mint. After this rough patch in imperial history—a “dark age” by any reckoning—the Byzantines righted the ship, managing to produce a remarkably stable currency for centuries that became the preferred money of the whole of Europe and beyond. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Byzantine

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 641-668

Heraclius & Constans II

40 Nummi

Bronze

2.3-6.3 g

20.4-25 mm

.015-.03 mm

Obverse Portrait of emperor/co-emperor

Reverse Denomination and mint

11. Arabia: Umayyad –Abassid Fals 7th CE

Arabia: Umayyad Caliphate The second major Islamic caliphate after the death of Mohammad, the Umayyad holdings included all of Arabia, much of central Asia, the whole of the Maghreb, and the Iberian Peninsula stretching into modern-day France. The Umayyad caliphs referred to themselves as “successor of the messenger of God,” instead of the preferred title “deputy of god”. This distinction seems to indicate that they regarded themselves as “God’s representatives” at the head of the community and saw no need to share their religious power or delegate it to the rising class of religious scholars. Umayyad coinage copied earlier types of Byzantine and Sassanian prototypes. The copper coinage was left to local authorities, and differs from one mint to another, in type, fabric and inscriptions. Because of Islamic law prohibiting graven images, there are no portraits on these coins. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Arab

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 661-750

Mixed Caliphs

Fals

Copper

2-4 g

11.4-20.5 mm

1.6-2.9 mm

Obverse Arabic script w/mint names, family titles

Reverse Arabic script w/dates and declaration of faith

12. Shahi Jital 9-11th CE

Central Asia: Kabul Shahis The mountainous region of Central Asia comprising the eastern parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and northwest India has always known war. In the 19th century, it was the site of the worst defeat the British Empire had ever known. By 8th century, Gandhara was ruled by a succession of kings called the Hindu Shahi, who would hold power for 150 years. It was the Hindu Shahi kings who first minted the silver jitals—a simple and elegant representation of the diversity of the region. Later they minted the jitals in bronze. The coins show an elephant under a legend on the obverse reading Vekka Deva. The reverse of the coins show a lion. Although Muslims and Hindus clashed for centuries over these lands, they agreed on one point: this is a beautiful coin, perfectly capturing the history and diversity of the region. Variations on this prototype were used by both Muslim and Hindu rulers for more than five centuries. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Central Asia

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 870-1008

Shahi Kings of Kabul

Jitals

Bronze

2.3-3.3 g

18.5-21.5 mm

0.01-1.5 mm

Obverse Elephant facing left inscription above

Reverse Lion facing right

13. India Chola Massa 10-11th CE

India: The Chola Empire The mighty Chola Empire was a Tamil dynasty that ruled southern India for sixteen centuries. During its peak in the 11th century, the Cholas controlled the Maldives and parts of Ceylon, and stretched north as far as Andhra Pradesh. The Chola kings were patrons of Tamil literature and architecture. The temples they built served not only as religious shrines but as hubs of social and economic activity. The obverse of copper coins in the Ceylon series features a standing figure, the king who issued the coin. He is holding a flower in upraised left arm with four or five flattened pellets below the elbow. Under the hanging right arm is a weapon or sceptre. The king's drapery, legs and another line between them are represented by five straight lines. On the reverse, a similar figure is seated with a legend (commonly raja raja) or other symbols under the left arm. The right arm is hanging down over the knees, fingers extended. The Cholas established a widely-accepted standard of value for their coins by the 1200s, helping to spark a monetary "revolution" in Asia well prior to the 1500s, when the European innovations occurred, a fact largely ignored by historians. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 985-1014

Rajaraja

Massa

Bronze

3.9-4.2 g

17-19 mm

2-3.5 mm

Obverse Seated king facing right with legend on right

Reverse Standing king with a torch on left

14. Kashmir Stater 10-12th CE

India: Kashmir These remarkable and attractive coins are the descendants of the gold and silver Kushan staters, and have a distinction of being among the longest-minted issue in history. The goddess/king design remained virtually unchanged in the 1300+ year’s history of this issue. Tradition has it that Kashmir was originally a lake that was drained by Kashyap and then inhabited by the Brahmins. Buddhism was introduced by the missionaries of Ashoka and flourished under the rule of Kushan in 2nd century. However, Hinduism continued to be the dominant religion. In the 7th century, the Karkota dynasty was founded by Durlabhavarrdhana. In 855 the Utpalas replaced the Karkotas. Later, the Tantrins, Yaskaras and Parva Gupta ruled in succession. Didda, a Gupta widowed queen, ruled Kashmir until 1003 when the Lohara dynasty took over. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 570-1213

Mixed rulers

Stater

Bronze

5.6-6.6 g

16-19 mm

3.5-5 mm

Obverse Stylized King

Reverse Seated goddess

15. Ceylon Kandy Massa 11-13th CE

Ceylon: Kandy Kings The island of Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, was liberated from the yoke of the Chola Empire by King Vijaya Bahu I in about 1070. The artfully designed of these “Kandy Kings,” named for the capital city on the island, are known as “monkey money.” The Tamils called them “demon kings money.” The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. Though there are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface. The right side elbow is curved down with the arm turned upwards and the hand holds a flower presumed to be a jasmine blossom. The left arm is extended outwards and curved downwards holding an ornamental lamp. On the left side of the coin deva-nagari or Sanskrit script is visible which indicates the name of the ruler. The figure resembles a dancing figure. The left arm is raised upwards and the hand holds a conch shell—another of the eight auspicious symbols. The conch shell is akin to the bugle. It is an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits, averts natural disasters, and scare away poisonous creatures. Today, the conch is used in Tibetan Buddhism to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practice of rituals, it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

1055-1295

Mixed Rulers

Massa

Bronze

3.9-4.3 g

19-20.5 mm

2.4-2.8 mm

Obverse Figure wearing dhoti standing

Reverse Figure seated, stylized dance

16. India Western Rajput Jital 12-13th CE

India: Western Rajput These coins are all referred to as jitals, as opposed to a specific denomination, since their value varied so widely over the centuries. The Shahi dynasty issued coins showing a Brahma bull on one side and a horseman on the other side. Over the next 500 years many rulers in an area encompassing what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwest India (Rajput) issued coins based on this one design. As time went on, the design tended to become more abstract and the original images harder to find. Yet five hundred years after the first coinage, one still finds abstract designs that upon careful inspection still show that they are derived from the original Shahi coinage. The Shahi originals were in good silver while many of the later designs are billon or copper. Interestingly these designs were used by both Muslim and Hindu rulers. The original coins weighed 4.3 grams, but through time the weight drifted downward. Soon many issues appeared with the bull on one side and Persian script on the reverse. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country India

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 1100-1200

Mixed Rulers

Jital

Bronze

3-3.3 g

14.5-16 mm

2.2-2.3 mm

Obverse Bull facing left

Reverse Indian script

17. Mamluk Fals 13th CE

Egypt: Mamluks The Mamluk sultanate (1250–1517) emerged from the weakening of the Ayyubids in Egypt and Syria. The Ayyubid sultans depended on slave (Arabic: mamluk, literally "owned," or slave) soldiers for military organization, yet in 1250 mamluks of Qipchaq Turkic origin eventually overthrew the last Ayyubid sultan in Egypt, al-Malik al-Ashraf and established their own rule. Their unusual political system did not rely entirely on family succession to the throne—slaves were also recruited into the governing class, hence the name of the sultanate later given by historians. Within a short period of time, the Mamluks created the greatest Islamic empire of the later Middle Ages, which included control of the holy cities Mecca and Medina. The Mamluk capital, Cairo, became the economic, cultural, and artistic center of the Arab Islamic world. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Egypt

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 1250

Mixed Rulers

Fals

Copper

1.8-4.1 g

15.5-22.5 mm

1.5-2.2 mm

Obverse Arabic script w/mint names, family titles

Reverse Arabic script w/dates and declaration of faith

18. Kwarezmshah Jital 13th CE

Central Asia: Khwarezmshah Ala Ad-din Muhammad II ruled the Khwarezm-Shah Empire from 1200 to 1220 CE. His father was a Turkish slave who became a viceroy of a small province named Khwārezm. Muhammad began expanding outwards after he inherited his father’s land. When he had conquered all the lands from the River Jazartes to the Persian Gulf he declared himself Shah. In 1218, Genghis Khan, the infamous Mongol king, sent some diplomats to the Shah. Muhammad had them executed. Genghis retaliated with a force of 200,000 men, resulting in the Mongol invasion of central Asia. Muhammad fled and died some weeks later on an island in the Caspian Sea. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Central Asia

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 1200-1220

Ala Ad-din Muhammad II

Jital

Copper

3.2-4.7 g

16.5-23.5 mm

1.4-2 mm

Obverse Horse with rider

Reverse Arabic script w/dates and declaration of faith

19. Kampuchea ½ Fuang 19th CE

Asia: Cambodia The Hamsa bird, a swan of Cambodian myth, has been a sacred animal to Hindus for three millennia, and figures prominently in the Upanishads, the Hindu holy books written circa 900 BCE. Prized for its ability to gracefully navigate three elements—it walks on land, flies in the air, and swims on water—the Hamsa bird is the mount of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knoweldge and the arts. The name of the bird is a Sanskrit play on words. When used as a mantra, the syllables ham and sa become soham, Sanskrit for I am the universe. Thus the bird represents the Supreme Spirit, the Brahman, from which the entire universe is made. When you hold this coin, then, metaphorically speaking, you have the whole world in the palm of your hand. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Asia

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 1847

King Norodom I

2 PE ½ Fuang

Billon

0.9-1.5 g

12.8-14.5 mm

0.01-0.15 mm

Obverse “Chi” (=luck) above Hamsa Bird

Reverse Uniface

20. Nepal Shah Paisa 19th CE

Asia: Nepal The modern period of Nepal's history begins with Prithvi Narayan Shah (c 1769-1775) who succeeded his father to the throne of Gorkha in 1743. Prithvi foresaw the need for unifying the small principalities as an urgent condition for survival in the future and set himself to the task accordingly. His assessment of the situation among the hill principalities was correct; thus the Kathmandu valley was conquered by the king and Kathmandu became the capital of the modern Nepal by 1769. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal is in a monastery next to the Stupa. Other monasteries here have huge prayer wheels, fine Buddhist paintings, and special butter lamps which may be lit after presenting monetary offerings (of antique copper paise.) A paisa (pl. Paise) is a monetary unit currently equivalent to 1 / 100th of a rupee or Bangladeshi taka and is used in several countries, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Coin image is for illustration purpose, and not true to scale. Coin grade may vary somewhat from image

Country Asia

Year of issue

Ruler

Denomination

Material

Weight

Diameter

Thickness

CE 1900

Prime Minister

Paisa

Copper

4.3-5.4 g

22.2-24 mm

1.5-1.7 mm

Obverse Legend within squares

Reverse Legend within squares

The coin images used are not to scale and are for illustration purpose only. The grades of the coins in this collection may vary. All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and beautifully displayed in a deluxe case. The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of authenticity, and a black gift box. Box measures:13 25/32" x 6 11/16" x 1 29/64". Order Code: SILKROADBRONZE20CNBOX-C