Rare! Huge broad dirham, anonymous, 663 AH (1264 CE), Samarqand, Great Mongols

Central legend, divided on obverse and reverse, is Turkic (Uighur) in Arabic letters samarqand-da yashlin tashlin // almaghuchi yal wa qulugh bolghay, which is translated as "in Samarqand, inside [or] outside // [he] who does not take [this coin as money] will become a mercenary and a slave", mint and date in the margin in Arabic. Samarqand mint, dated 663 AH (1264 AD). 39mm, 6.79 grams. Cf. Zeno-4377; A-B1979, Davidovich-10.

The coin is not completely cleaned - some of the original green patina is still stuck to the coin (it is not bronze disease or other defect, it is just patina).

These huge bronze coins were originally silver washed, this coin shows light traces of the silver-wash. They were poorly struck and are all rare. All knows examples date to 663 AH, so it is a one-year issue, perhaps related to a particular event or a campaign. They are sometimes classified as Chaghatayid issues, but the Chaghatayid realm was established in 668 AH, so these coins are more properly classified as Great Mongol issues.

For similar examples see Album Auction 51 lot 2167 (realized 180$ + fees) and lot 2166 (160$+fees).