Silver Dirham of Shah Shuja, Muzaffarid Dynasty

A medieval silver dirham issued under the Muzaffarid dynasty, bearing the name of Shah Shuja, the second Muzaffarid ruler, who reigned c. 1358–1384 CE. Shah Shuja is remembered for his patronage of the arts and his rivalry with Timur. The mint is unknown; the coin may have been struck in the region of present-day Azerbaijan or eastern Anatolia.

The obverse carries Arabic inscriptions declaring the Islamic creed, "There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger", in Kufic script, encircled by the names of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr at top (inverted), 'Uthman at bottom, 'Ali at left, and 'Umar at right (not visible).

The reverse reads, from top: Al-mu'tamid li'llah wa-bi'llah ("Who depends on and with God"); center, Shah Shuja; and below, Khallid Allah mulkahu ("May God make his reign endure"). The royal title al-Sultan al-A'zam Shah Shuja appears in Arabic script.

Hand hammer-struck, approximately 19 mm across and 2.14 grams. Despite natural wear the script remains partially legible, allowing firm historical attribution. The seller notes the type could not be located in online coin catalogs. Identification of the ruler was assisted by a correspondent.