Coinage of Iltutmish
13th century ・ silver ・ 13th century ・ Delhi Sultanate
A coin of Iltutmish of the Delhi Sultanate. During this king's reign, images of gods disappeared from the coinage of the subcontinent. In their place, the coin faces were filled with the name of the issuer and inscriptions proclaiming their faith. For a thousand years, goddesses, kings, and beasts had all been depicted on the coins here. After Iltutmish, that space was ceded to text. The decision of what not to strike was as transformative for the face of the coinage as the decision of what to strike.