Why isn't Timur called khan on his coins?

He was not a descendant of Genghis Khan, so he could not legitimately hold the title. His coinage names puppet Chaghatayid khans while he ruled as amir.

Which mints struck for Timur?

Samarqand, Herat, Baghdad, Tabriz, Shiraz and others across the empire, mostly silver tankas on a shared standard.

How many Timur (Tamerlane) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?

1 item, dated 795 CE, spread across 1 era: Timurid & Safavid.

Which metals were used for Timur (Tamerlane) coinage?

Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.

Where were Timur (Tamerlane) coins minted?

Recorded mints include Baghdad.

Persian Treasury

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Ruler

Coinage of Timur (Tamerlane)

1 catalogued issue of Timur (Tamerlane) — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Timur (1370–1405) built an empire from Anatolia to Delhi from his capital at Samarqand, and struck coinage in the name of puppet Chaghatayid khans because he could not claim the title of khan himself. Timur (Tamerlane) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 795 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Baghdad.

Catalogued: 1
Eras: 1
Metals: 1
Denominations: 0

Key facts

Key facts about Timur (Tamerlane) in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces	1
Date range	795 CE
Eras represented	Timurid & Safavid
Metals	Silver
Mints	Baghdad
Rule	1370–1405
Capital	Samarqand
Title	Amir, ruling through Chaghatayid khans
Principal coin	Silver tanka

Ruling through a fiction

Genghisid descent was the only recognised basis for the title khan in the post-Mongol world. Timur, a Barlas Turk without it, ruled as amir and son-in-law of the Genghisid line, and his coins name figurehead khans such as Mahmud alongside his own authority.

Attribution therefore requires reading past the most prominent name: the coin's political meaning lies in the combination, not in the headline.

Coinage of a war economy

Timur's campaigns funnelled bullion and craftsmen to Samarqand, and mints across the empire — Baghdad, Tabriz, Herat, Shiraz — struck silver tankas to a common standard that made long-distance payment workable.

His death in 1405 en route to China left the empire to his sons and grandsons, and Timurid coinage continues through Shahrukh and Ulugh Beg into the sixteenth century.

Timurid & Safavid · 1370 – 1736 CE

Era overview →

Timur Silver Tanka

Timur (Tamerlane)

AH 795 / 1393 CE

Struck in Timur's name while nominally honouring the Chagatai khan — the silver tanka standard he established was inherited by his successors and later the Safavids.

Frequently asked about Timur (Tamerlane)

Why isn't Timur called khan on his coins?: He was not a descendant of Genghis Khan, so he could not legitimately hold the title. His coinage names puppet Chaghatayid khans while he ruled as amir.
Which mints struck for Timur?: Samarqand, Herat, Baghdad, Tabriz, Shiraz and others across the empire, mostly silver tankas on a shared standard.
What coins did Timur (Tamerlane) issue?: Timur (Tamerlane) issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 795 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Baghdad.
How many Timur (Tamerlane) pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?: 1 item, dated 795 CE, spread across 1 era: Timurid & Safavid.
Which metals were used for Timur (Tamerlane) coinage?: Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Where were Timur (Tamerlane) coins minted?: Recorded mints include Baghdad.

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