DescriptionYa’qub bin Laith was born in Qarnin in western Afghanistan. He was a coppersmith (Saffar) before taking up banditry. He prospered and became a warlord. He embarked on a career of conquest and controlled a large region in Central Asia. After he died his brother tried to keep the conquering business going, but things did not work out and the Samanids took over. The Samanids continued in their homeland as Samanid vassals.The term “Islamic coins” refers to coins made by Muslim governments from the time of the first caliphs to an end point in time that varies with the particular country being considered, but is generally some time from the 17th to 19th century. There is a geographic exclusion: India and points east are generally considered separately. The main reference used here is “Checklist of Islamic Coins,” by Stephen Album.
