Baku Khanate

“Coins of Azerbaijan” collection by Resm is inspired by coins minted in XVIII century’ Azerbaijani khanates. For more than 2000 years, the numismatics of Azerbaijan have accompanied its statehood, clearly confirming its stable presence. At the same time, in its long history, the country’s minting has risen to a high level in artistic terms, graphically illustrating both the skills and craftsmanship of coin makers, as well as the aesthetic values of each particular time and society. The main denominations of cash and monetary systems of Azerbaijani khanates in late 18th –early 19th centuries were silver abbasis and shahis. As small change, they produced copper coins under the name of fulus or “gara pul” (black
money). Their obverse side indicated the place and date of minting. Animal motifs depicted in many of the Khanate period coins are arranged according to the traditional Turco-Mongol calendar, based on 12 years named after 12 animals. The coins of some khanates were decorated with the “The Lion and the Sun” motif which adorned the silver dirhams of the sultan of the Anatolian Seljuk State, Kaykhusraw II. On the reverse side, there were images of a relevant animal or legends in Arabic or Persian. With the
elimination of the khanates, their silver coins remained in circulation in local markets for a long time and then served as a kind of accessory for female attire, turningfrom numismatic into ethnographic artefacts.

Source “Coins of Azerbaija” Ali Rajabli, 2012