Kurzuwan Copper Jital, Struck During the Siege of Genghis Khan

These copper jitals were struck over a period of two months in Kurzuwan, located in modern-day Afghanistan, while the city was under siege by Mongol forces led by Genghis Khan. The coins bear Arabic inscriptions naming the malik (local ruler) of Kurzuwan, along with Islamic religious mottos rendered in Kufic script. Kurzuwan fell to the Mongols just a few weeks after these coins were minted, and the city was completely destroyed.

Born as Temüjin, Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes and created the largest contiguous empire in history. His reign began in 1206, and his conquest expanded the Mongol Empire across Asia and into Europe. By 1227, the empire had expanded to encompass 24 million square kilometers and a wide range of cultures.

Coins were not originally used by the Mongols, as they measured their wealth in horses, sheep, and cattle, but currency was used in many of the societies they conquered. As they expanded their power into the urban domains of the Middle East and China, they had to adapt to the use of currency as it was familiar to its given population.

Because of this, the coinage produced by the Mongols looks very similar to Islamic or Chinese coins of the era, and these jitals were originally attributed to Genghis Khan himself until modern research uncovered their true origin.

Each coin comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.