ISLAMIC – Samanid Dynasty Nasr II ibn Ahmad (AH 301–331 / AD 914–943) Silver Dirham – Samarqand Mint, Dated AH 309 / AD 921–922 • Weight: 2.95 g • Diameter: 29 mm • Reference: Album 1446 • Condition: Attractive dark brown toning; lightly worn reverse die ________________________________________ Description Dirham struck at Samarqand, bearing Kufic inscriptions naming the Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir billah and the Samanid amir Nasr II ibn Ahmad. The Samarqand mint was one of the principal centers of coin production in the eastern Islamic world, serving both economic and political purposes. ________________________________________ Historical Note Nasr II, among the most prominent rulers of the Samanid dynasty, governed a vast realm encompassing Transoxiana and Khurasan. While maintaining formal recognition of Abbasid authority, the Samanids effectively ruled as independent monarchs. Their coinage reflects this duality—acknowledging Baghdad while consolidating their own legitimacy. Silver dirhams from Samarqand illustrate the city’s importance as a Silk Road hub and as a center of Islamic and Persian cultural life. The continuation of caliphal titulature on local issues underscored both political continuity and dynastic autonomy.