Konstantin Khromov & Irina Khromova, State Hermitage, 28 sep.

2016

Elements of Nomadic Proto-Heraldry as Reflected in the Juchid Coinage

(from the Aral Sea to Danube)

Abstract and illustrations

Till now, the exact meaning of signs, symbols and images on the Juchid coins is still unknown to
researchers. In the 19th - 20th centuries, numerous elements of decoration on Juchid coins, irrespective of
their real meaning, were routinely called a tamgha.

For example, the ‘magic knot’ (‘pletenka’ in Russian), was for a long time identified in many
works as the image of tamgha. It was Academician Dmitry Likhachev only, by the 1930s, who finally
and correctly attributed this element as purely decorative.

Different signs that may belong to the elements of nomadic ‘proto-heraldry’ are recorded on nu-
merous coins of Ulus Juchi. The area of distribution of such coins covers a vast territory throughout the
lands of Ulus Juchi from the Aral Sea to Danube. Several research papers on this subject are available by
now.

Valentin Lebedev in his article (1990) gives a general description of the symbols on the coins of
Crimean Ulus. He also reconstructs the coin series of Qrim mint in the 13 th - 15th centuries. However, his
work does not explain the meaning of symbols on the coins struck at the Crimean mints.

The symbols placed either alongside the Juchid and Noghay tamghas or just as a separate element
of coin design, have been considered in the research works by Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu.

These coins were struck at the mint of Saqche from the second half of the 13th century till the
early 14th century. One of such signs represents the image similar to heraldic fleur-de-lis.

Eugeny Goncharov in his article ‘Notes on the eyeglasses-like tamgha’ (2007) attempted to see
into some of such symbols, namely the one looking like the ‘sign of infinity’ (∞), placed on many types
of Juchid coins issued at different times and circulated from the Aral Sea to Dnieper.

Viktor Pivorovich has published (2008) Eugeny Goncharov a large number of copper coins with
the ‘sign of infinity’ found in the lower reaches of the Dnieper River.
 A different interpretation of this sign was expounded in the paper published by the present authors
in 2013: in that work we defined the sign of infinity’ as the köz tamgha of the Kazakh tribe Argyn.

In 2013 the same authors delivered a paper in the State Historical Museum (Moscow) where some
other signs on Juchid coins were identified. These signs are repeated at different emissions in different
regions.

In 2015 Eugeny Goncharov delivered his paper ‘Tamghas of emirs on the puls of Ulus Juchi (14–
15 centuries)’, in which he introduced into scholarly use a few more coins decorated with original
tamghas.

The study of the emergence of imitative coins from the borderlands between Ulus and Lithuania
enabled us to trace the use of certain signs in the design of local imitations. We also studied the process
of transformation of the elements of Arabic legends on the Juchid coins into proto-heraldry images on
those imitations and heraldic elements used in the coinage of some early appanage principalities of me-
dieval Rus’.

Those signs might have a different status relative to the main tamgha:

Illustration 1. Group 1.

Group 1 – the sign is an independent element of coin design; the Juchid tamgha or khan’s name are ab-
sent from the coin (Illustration 1);
Group 2 – the sign is an independent element of coin reverse; the Juchid tamgha and/or khan’s name are
placed on the obverse (Illustration 2);

Illustration 2. Group 2.

Illustration 3. Group 3.
Group 3 – several signs are placed beside each other; khan’s name and titles are placed on both sides of
the coin (Illustration 3);

Group 4 – the sign is placed under the Juchid tamgha (Illustration 4);

Illustration 4. Group 4.

Group 5 – the sign has a small size and is placed on one side of a coin (Illustration 5, 6).

Illustration 5. Group 5.
 Illustration 6. Group 5.

Sometimes other signs or decorations can be placed beside the main symbol. The basic criteria for
the selection of signs on coins are as follows:

- presence / absence / frequency of using the sign in different versions of the same coin type,
placed in the same position;

- use of whatever sign to form a coin legend around in scarce varieties and common types of
coins;

- other obvious cases of use of the signs in the capacity of heraldic or other independent ele-
ment in the design of a coin type.

We constantly carry out the work on fixing the maximum possible number of types and varieties of
Juchid coins with different additional signs.

As an instance, we have chosen for more detailed analysis the ‘triangle’ sign. It has several vari-
eties and is fixed on different coins (see below).

This sign was placed on the coins in the early period of the reign of Toqtu at the mints located in
the area between Danube and the Crimean Ulus that was controlled by Noghay. Later it was used in the
design of several copper coin types minted at Qrim in 1330-1340 AD (Illustration 7).
 Illustration 7.

The use of this sign is fixed again in the copper coinage in the name of Abdallah Khan (AH 764–
770), minted at Azaq in AH 764. Later on, the same ‘triangle’ appears on the copper coins with the name
of Toqtamish, struck on the left coast of Dnieper River estuary.

Illustration 8.
 Those coppers were adorned with a few similar signs placed together on each coin side. For the
last time we can see the same sign on anonymous copper coins of Ordu Bazar (1) issued in the 1430s.
The cited mint was also located in that region (Illustration 8)

Those coppers were adorned with a few similar signs placed together on each coin side. For the last time
we can see the same sign on anonymous copper coins of Ordu Bazar (1) issued in the 1430s. The cited
mint was also located in that region.

However, currently we cannot set forth any ready-made solutions or assumptions as to how this
symbol might be explained and to whom it could belong.

The period when additional signs appear on the Juchid coins of different regions is basically related
to the reign of Toqtu (AH 690–712). With the introduction of the united monetary system for the whole
Ulus under Jani Beg (AH 741–758) its presence on the coins comes to minimum. The reuse of former
symbols, alongside the appearance of new signs, is directly related to the weakening of the central power
of the khans in the 60 - 70s of the 14th century.

New (different) signs appeared on the coins exactly when tribes from the Aral Sea region began
moving to the central and western parts of Ulus Juchi in the late 1360s. Most of those signs appear on
the coins by the end of the reign of Abdallah (AH 764–770) and in the reign of Muhammad (AH 771–
782). Their use in the coin design virtually ends about the middle of the reign of Toqtamish (AH 782–
797) and reappears under Shadi Beg (AH 802–809). Some signs remain in use up to the total collapse of
Ulus Juchi.

So what significance could have the signs in question on the Juchid coins? We would admit all pos-
sible options:

- the sign as a conventional symbol;

- the sign as a tamgha, or a proto-heraldry element;
- the sign as a sacral symbol.

The transition of semantic loads of the same sign could take place either simply with the course of
time or as a result of changes in the political and geographical area of its use.
Bibliography:

1. Goncharov E.Yu., 2007. ‘Zametka ob «ochkovidnoĭ» tamge’, Vostochnaya numizmatika na Ukraine.

Sbornik publikatsiĭ, chast’ II. Monety Dzhuchidov XIII–XV vekov i sopredel’nykh gosudarstv.
Kyïv. S. 80-84.

2. Goncharov E.Yu., 2015. ‘Tamgi emirov na pulakh Ulusa Dzhuchidov, 14–15 v.v. (postanovka vo-
prosa)’ Numizmaticheskie chteniya Gosudarstvennogo istoricheskogo muzeya 2015 goda. Moscow.
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3. Khromov K.K., Khromova I.K., 2012. ‘Voprosy atributsii nakhodok mestnykh monet-podrazhaniĭ
vtoroĭ poloviny 14 v. na territoriyakh litovsko-ordyinskogo prigranich’ya’, Mezhdunarodnaya nu-
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8. Oberländer-Târnoveanu E., 1993. ‘Un atelier monétaire inconnu de la Horde d’Or sur le Danube:
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Internet source: <www.zeno.ru>