Samanid: Nasr II ibn Ahmad 329 AH / 940 AD

Description

House of Emirates® is thrilled to offer its elite clientele this exceptionally beautiful and historically resonant silver dirham from the Samanid dynasty, struck under the reign of Nasr II ibn Ahmad in the year 329 AH (940 AD) at the celebrated mint of Nishapur.

Measuring an impressive 26 mm in diameter and weighing 2.88 grams, this dirham exemplifies the high silver purity and refined epigraphic artistry for which Samanid coinage is revered. The broad flan and clear strike allow the inscriptions to breathe, a hallmark of Nishapur issues, reflecting the city’s status as a major economic, intellectual, and cultural center of the eastern Islamic world during the 10th century.

The obverse is dominated by bold Kufic script arranged in harmonious concentric circles, proclaiming Islamic declarations of faith and authority with striking clarity. The reverse continues this disciplined calligraphic tradition, naming Nasr II ibn Ahmad, one of the most influential Samanid rulers, whose reign marked a golden age of stability, scholarship, and Persian cultural revival under Islamic governance. The balanced layout, confident lettering, and surviving sharp details speak to both the technical mastery of the mint and the coin’s careful preservation over more than a millennium.

Beyond its numismatic beauty, this dirham is a tangible witness to a pivotal era in Islamic and Persian history, when trade routes, knowledge, and silver currency connected Nishapur to the wider world from Central Asia to the Middle East. For collectors and investors alike, it represents not merely a silver coin, but a surviving fragment of empire, faith, and commerce—an object that embodies authenticity, scarcity, and enduring historical value, perfectly aligned with the philosophy of House of Emirates® in uniting ancient legacy with modern connoisseurship.