Friday, May 23, 2008

=> Larins : Wonderful Coins - Fish Hook shaped

Interesting and rare type of early medieval coinage(Trade Coins)

Larins oringinated in the district of 'Lar' at the head of the persian gulfand was most popular amongst Arab marine traders. These unusual coins were struck in India by the Adil Shahi Dynasty and Arabian Gulf in the 11th-16th century AD and circulated widely in the area of the Iran, Persian Gulf, Pakistan and Northern India.

The coin were made but cutting a thick silver wire into pieces of fairly equal weight and stamped on both sides with a die, bearing arabic inscriptions. They afford a scanty surface to recieve any inscription. Hence, it is not very easy to read inscriptions on them. However, most of the Adil Shahi Larins bear 'sultan ali adil shah' on one side and Zarb Lari Dangi san.... on the other side.

The dates on these coins are rarely found to be clear, but what we can read only shows that they were minted by Ali II.

In the Arabian Gulf, for example, a silver ingot called the Larin was introduced in the early centuries. Crafted in the form of a fish-hook, with various specimens ranging in length from about one inch to an inch and a half, Larins, which took their name from the town of Lar in southern Persia, were originally circulated in the Arabian Gulf region. Eventually they spread to the eastern seaboard of India and to the Maldive Islands and became one of the chief trading currencies in the Indian Ocean region.

Larins have inscriptions in both Persian and Arabic, and to meet the requirements of change, were often cut into pieces; sometimes one Larin was divided into 12 separate sections.


1. Bijapur Silver larin, Ali Adil Shah II (AH 1067-1083 = AD 1656-1672). Shahi of Bijapur
Arabic inscriptions on both sides. 38mm in length, 3 to 4 mm in thickness.

2. LARINS Issued by suttans have been found in ceylon (Wt. 4.75Gm )
AHMAD 1 A.H. 1012-27 (A.D1603-18)

IBRAHIM A.H.1049-58(1640-48)

SULAIMAN III A.H.1099-1102(A.D.1687-91)



1 comment:

Omar said...

The other so-called "gulf" the blog author is talking about does not even exist. Try the Persian Gulf instead. Cheers!