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Dirham - Orqina Khatun Almaligh
| Issuer | Chagatai Khanate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1255 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays four lines of Arabic inscription occupying the central field, contained within a double circular border with decorative pellet motifs between the rings, a layout characteristic of Chagataid hammered silver coinage. The legends identify the issuing authority as the exalted queen Orqina Khatun, the mint city of Almaligh, and the date of striking. The outermost border features a band of additional Arabic text running continuously around the circumference. The die work is bold but somewhat irregular, consistent with the hand-struck technique employed at the Almaligh mint in the mid-thirteenth century. |
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| Mintage | 653 (1255) |
| Additional information |
Orqina Khatun governed the Chagatai Khanate as regent from roughly 1252 to 1260, one of the few women in Mongol history to exercise direct administrative authority over a major khanate. Her regency followed the death of Qara Hülegü and preceded the reign of Alghu. Coins struck in her name at Almaligh — a major commercial hub on the Silk Road in what is now northern Xinjiang — are among the most direct numismatic evidence of female rule within the Mongol successor states.
The Almaligh mint was active throughout Chagatai rule and served trade networks connecting China to Central Asia and beyond.