Coins struck at Ghazna
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Ghazna, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
Ghazna in eastern Afghanistan was the capital of the Ghaznavids, the Turkic dynasty whose gold and silver financed seventeen campaigns into India and whose court commissioned the Shahnameh. Ghazna is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 1099 CE – 1115 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Mas'ud III (Ghaznavid).
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 1099 CE – 1115 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Gold |
| Denominations | Dinar |
| Issuers | Mas'ud III (Ghaznavid) |
| Location | Ghazni, eastern Afghanistan |
| Dynasty | Ghaznavid, 977–1186 |
| Notable ruler | Mahmud of Ghazna (998–1030) |
| Notable feature | Bilingual Arabic–Sanskrit issues |
Indian gold in Iranian coin
Mahmud of Ghazna's raids brought vast temple treasure west, and the mint at Ghazna converted it into Islamic gold and silver. Some issues carry bilingual Arabic and Sanskrit legends for circulation in the Indian provinces — an unusually explicit case of coinage adapted to a conquered audience.
Ghaznavid coinage is the monetary side of a cultural moment: Ferdowsi presented the Shahnameh at this court, and the same treasury paid for both the campaigns and the poetry.
Ghaznavid to Ghurid
Masud III and later rulers continued the mint tradition until the Ghurids sacked Ghazna in 1151. Ghurid issues then carry the same eastern-Iranian monetary conventions into northern India, seeding the coinage of the Delhi Sultanate.
Attribution rests on ruler name, mint and Hijri date; strike quality is generally good and legends comparatively legible, making the series friendlier than many medieval Iranian fields.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Ghazna
- Why do some Ghaznavid coins have Sanskrit?
- Because they were struck for circulation in the dynasty's Indian territories, where a bilingual legend made the coin usable and its authority legible to local merchants.
- What ended the Ghaznavid mint at Ghazna?
- The Ghurid conquest: Ghazna was sacked in 1151 and the dynasty was extinguished in 1186, after which Ghurid coinage took over the region.
- What coins were struck at Ghazna?
- Ghazna is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 1099 CE – 1115 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Mas'ud III (Ghaznavid).
- How many Ghazna pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 1099 CE – 1115 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Ghazna coinage?
- Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Ghazna?
- Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.