Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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A remarkable collection of 18 coins uncovered during archaeological excavations last year at the Shikhmazid monument site in Azerbaijan's Aghsu district has opened a new window into the region's Safavid-era past, Azernews reports, citing Azertag.

The discoveries have now been transferred to the Azerbaijan National History Museum for detailed numismatic study.

Following their arrival at the museum, the coins were first carefully cleaned and conserved in the restoration laboratory before being placed in the Numismatics Collection, where their historical attribution was conducted by Aygun Mammadova, PhD in History and chief specialist of the Numismatics Department.

Aygun Mammadova explained that the analysis revealed the coins date back to the reign of Safavid ruler Sultan Husayn (1693–1722). They were minted in major political and economic centers of the era, including Ganja, Shamakhi, Derbent, Yerevan, Tabriz, Isfahan, and several other cities, evidence of the wide geographic reach of Safavid monetary circulation.

The silver coins vary in weight from 1.3 to 18.45 grams and include denominations historically known as abbasi, shahi, mahmudi, and bisti. Their surfaces bear finely engraved inscriptions in Arabic script, featuring religious expressions, the ruler's name, the names of imams, official titles, the minting location, and Hijri dates.

In addition to silver currency, Mammadova noted that gold coins, including misqal and ashrafi types, were also in circulation during Sultan Husayn's reign, typically weighing between 1.1 and 6.9 grams.

Newly studied coins offer valuable insights into the economic life, political authority, and artistic traditions of Azerbaijan during the final decades of Safavid rule.