Lot 190

Samid Amirs of Multan, Amir Fahad (930 or 950 CE onwards), Silver Bilingual Damma (Qanhari Dirham), 0.49 gms, 10.49 mm, Obverse: Sri Samara / miyanka, Reverse: Three dot motif surrounded by Shri Ta Pa with LillahFahad (transl. For Allah (struck by) Fahad) in Kufic below. These bilingual coins of Fahad carry his local biruda (royal title) :Shri Samaramiyaka / Samaramiyanka referring to the protagonist of the famous Jaina mahakaha Samaraicca Kaha (transl. the story of Samaraicca) of Acharya Shri Haribhadrasuri (fl. 788-829 CE). The title Samaramiyaka which is in Prakrit has been translated to Samaraditya in Sanskrit. This is the only issue in the entire Multani bilingual series where the royal title is in Prakrit and based on a major religious text of Jainism, Fishman & Todd: M78-E20, extra fine, listed as RR in the Fishman and Todd Catalogue, very rare.