Coins struck at Nishapur
2 catalogued coins and notes attributed to Nishapur, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
Nishapur in Khorasan was the principal mint of the Tahirids and one of the great Samanid workshops, striking the silver dirhams that flowed north along the Volga trade route into Viking Europe. Nishapur is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 2 coins and notes struck between 955 CE – 1092 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Abd al-Malik I (Samanid), Malik-Shah I.
- Catalogued
- 2
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 955 CE – 1092 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Gold |
| Denominations | Dinar |
| Issuers | Abd al-Malik I (Samanid), Malik-Shah I |
| Region | Khorasan, north-eastern Iran |
| Main issuers | Tahirids, Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Seljuqs |
| Products | Silver dirhams, scarcer gold dinars |
| End of the mint | Mongol destruction, 1221 |
A capital of Khorasan
Nishapur was one of the largest cities of the early Islamic world, a centre of scholarship, ceramics and the turquoise trade, and the seat of Tahirid governors ruling Khorasan on behalf of the Abbasid caliphs.
It fell to the Saffarids, then the Samanids, then the Seljuqs, and was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221 — a break its coinage records precisely.
The dirhams
Nishapur dirhams are typical reformed Islamic silver: broad, thin, epigraphic, with the mint name and AH year in the reverse margin. Samanid output was enormous and is found across northern and eastern Europe in Viking-age hoards.
Gold dinars of Nishapur exist for the Samanids, Ghaznavids and Seljuqs and are considerably scarcer than the silver. For both metals, a fully legible mint and date on the flan is the main value driver.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Nishapur
- What are Nishapur dirhams?
- Islamic silver coins of about 2.9 g struck at Nishapur in Khorasan, chiefly under the Tahirids and Samanids, and widely exported north along the Volga trade route.
- What coins were struck at Nishapur?
- Nishapur is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 2 coins and notes struck between 955 CE – 1092 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Abd al-Malik I (Samanid), Malik-Shah I.
- How many Nishapur pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 2 items, dated 955 CE – 1092 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Nishapur coinage?
- Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Nishapur?
- Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.