Mysterious Chinese cash-style coin with Arabic inscription

[Parthicus]

Semirech'e region.  c. 10th century CE (?).  Qara Khitay (Western Liao)?  AE cash.  Obverse: "Malik Aram Yinal Qaraj" in Kufic Arabic script around central hole.  Reverse: Blank.  Album A1510P, Zeno 962.  This coin: Stephen Album Auction 50, lot 4005 (part of group lot) (September 19-22, 2024). 

This coin type is rather mysterious, and the information on who issued it and when seems mostly based on conjecture.  Based on known find spots, the type was likely issued in Semirech'e (a region in what is now southeastern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan, near the western border of China).  The shape is the standard "cash" style of cast round coin with central square hole, which originated in China but was also copied in surrounding areas of East and Central Asia.  The inscription is in a late Kufic style of Arabic script and reads "Malik Aram Yinal Qaraj", which is presumably the name of the ruler who issued the type; unfortunately, that name is unknown to history.  Sources that mention this coin at all usually assign it to the Qara Khitay (also known as the Western Liao or Great Liao), a Mongol-derived dynasty which ruled in the Semirech'e area from 1124 to 1218.  However, the style of Kufic Arabic script used on the coin has been interpreted as implying an earlier date of issue.  With so much uncertainty, there's not much more I can say about the coin, except that I find it interesting for the mixing of Arabic-derived and Chinese-derived styles.  Please post any related coins you have, or let me know if you have any additional information.

[Sulla80]

You reminded me of this coin from Semirechie and here is some information that you might find useful on your coin:

http://www.charm.ru/coins/misc/sogd-arab.shtml ... "these proto-Qarakhanid coins should be dated to the 10^th century and they were made in the style of the Turgesh coins. Their area of distribution included the Chu and Talas valleys".

You probably saw these notes on Qara Khitay from Zeno-ru already: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=273550

Coins of Semirechie (NOTE: this site gives a security warning on some browsers which I decided to ignore - the content is great - seems they may have an expired security certificate?)

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/clashes-in-transoxiana

Edited November 23, 2024 by Sulla80

[Parthicus]

Thanks @Sulla80 for the additional info and links, and for your own Semirech'e coin.  My OP coin came in a lot with two other Semirech'e coins that feature the same Sogdian obverse legend and reverse tamgha as yours, but with additional characters on the reverses.  The first (Kamyshev 23) has the Sogdian legend "prn" (good), while the second (Kamyshev 21) features the Chinese character "yuan" (first or original), which would have been familiar from the Chinese Kai Yuan Tong Bao coins of 618-907 CE that would have circulated at the same time (and I also show an example below):

This feels like a rabbit hole that goes very far down, and would be fun to explore in more depth, but I already have my nose in too many obscure and poorly-understood coinages, I probably shouldn't add another.  (But maybe a peek wouldn't hurt...)