Coins struck at Bukhara
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Bukhara, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
Bukhara was the Samanid capital and one of the great mints of the Islamic east — the city whose silver dirhams reached Scandinavia in such quantity that they underwrote the Viking-age silver economy. Bukhara is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 651 CE – 1260 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Dirham denominations, issued under Möngke Khan (in name of Great Khan).
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 651 CE – 1260 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Dirham |
| Issuers | Möngke Khan (in name of Great Khan) |
| Dynasty | Samanid capital, 9th–10th century |
| Principal coin | Silver dirham, ≈2.9–3.0 g |
| Trade reach | Volga route to Scandinavia |
| Later issuers | Qarakhanid, Timurid |
Samanid silver and the northern trade
Tenth-century Samanid dirhams from Bukhara, Samarqand and Nishapur travelled north along the Volga in exchange for furs, wax and slaves. They are found in Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian hoards by the tens of thousands, often cut into fragments and weighed as bullion.
That distribution makes Iranian coinage a primary source for early medieval European economic history — hack-silver in a Gotland hoard is Samanid fiscal policy, transported.
The city as a cultural centre
Samanid Bukhara was where New Persian was established as a literary language and where Ibn Sina studied. The coinage's careful Arabic epigraphy sits alongside that Persian revival rather than against it — administration in one language, culture in another.
Later Qarakhanid and Timurid issues from the city continue the mint sequence, though never at the tenth-century volume.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Bukhara
- Why are Samanid dirhams found in Scandinavia?
- Because Viking-age traders exchanged furs and slaves for Islamic silver along the Volga route. Samanid dirhams are the most common coin in Scandinavian hoards of the tenth century.
- What is hack-silver?
- Coins and silver objects cut into pieces and used by weight rather than by count — the normal way Islamic dirhams circulated in northern Europe.
- What coins were struck at Bukhara?
- Bukhara is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 651 CE – 1260 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Dirham denominations, issued under Möngke Khan (in name of Great Khan).
- How many Bukhara pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 651 CE – 1260 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Bukhara coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Bukhara?
- Dirham. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.