Rare copper fals, temp. Yelu Dashi (1124-1143), Qara-khitay (Western Liao dynasty), Central Asia

Sunni kalima divided between obverse & reverse, with the name Sa'd, possibly Muslim name of Yelü Dashi, above the obverse; the date formula fills the obverse margin, citing the caliph al-Muqtafi (reigned AH530-555) below the reverse field, extremely rare. NM, date off-flan. 21mm, 2.20 grams. cf. Zeno-273550.

An example shown on Zeno (#273550) was sold by Steve Album (Auction 40, lot 506) - it is poorly struck, like all the known pieces, in F or so (probably inferior in quality to the piece offered here), sold for 1900$ plus fees.

The Western Liao, known as the Qara-Khitay ("black cathay") were originally nomadic tribes from northern China. They eventually fled through Mongolia, first to Xinjiang, later into areas of modern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and established their capital at Balasaghun, located in the Chuy Valley east of Bishkek and slightly south of the Chu River, which divides the two modern countries. They are numismatically better known for their Chinese cash coins, either in normal or imitative Chinese characters. The Islamic Qara Khitay coins are found almost exclusively at the medieval site at Krasnaya Rechka, located between Bishkek and Balasaghun. Interestingly, some of the Western Liao cash coins were also found at Krasnaya Rechka. Detailed analysis of the two basic Islamic types, one citing the caliph al-Mustarshid (AH512-529), the other al-Muqtafi (AH530-555), was published by Michael Federov in the Numismatic Chronicle, volume 164 (2004), pp. 322-327, with illustrations of 12 pieces found at Krasnaya Rechka.