Coin

Description

A silver tanga produced by striking. It is approximately circular in shape, with an irregular edge that is worn and slightly cracked in places. Epigraphic inscriptions in Arabic script are preserved on both sides.
One side bears the ruler’s titulature and epigraphic inscriptions associated with Abdullah II of the Shaybanid dynasty, arranged in a decorative composition. Known silver tangas issued under Abdullah II include titulary formulas corresponding to “Khaqan son of Khaqan son of Khaqan, Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur Khan” and “al-Khaqan al-Adil wa-l-Malik al-Kamil, Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur Khan”. Parts of the inscriptions on this specimen are indistinct because of wear and the characteristics of the strike.
The other side bears epigraphic inscriptions of Islamic religious content. Some tanga types associated with Abdullah II include the Islamic profession of faith and the names of the first four caliphs - Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. This epigraphic arrangement is characteristic of a group of late 16th-century Shaybanid coins.
The coin belongs to the reign of Abdullah II, 1583-1598, and dates to the late 16th century. Silver tangas formed an important part of the monetary system under Abdullah II.
The object is an important archaeological and numismatic source for the study of monetary circulation in the Otyrar region in the late 16th century, Shaybanid Islamic numismatic and epigraphic traditions, and the economic and political connections of Otyrar with Central Asia.