The Usolye Hoard of Kufic Coins

The paper introduces the hoard of kufic coins found in Usolye district of Perm region. The authors investigated 42 Samanid, Samanid governors of Andaraba, Simjurid, Buwayhid and Ka'usid of Tabaristan dirhams, exposed the common features and peculiarities of the find. All the coins of the hoard are listed, the most interesting and significant of them are commented separately. Their dynastic, geographic and chronological distributions are examined. 24 Buwayhid dirhams mainly minted in the South Caspian region are dominated in the hoard. The basis of the find consists of the coins issued in 373–379 AH (983–990 AD), they prevailed in the circulation before the moment of concealment. The features of the cronological distribution show the absense of the targeted accumulation. The year of minting of the youngest coin, dynastic and chronological composition gives the authors opportunity of dating the hoard to the second half of the 990s. The authors come to the conclusion about the importance of the hoard as a valuable source for studying the circulation of kufic coin silver in the Kama river basin, social and economic links with Volga Bulgharia and the Muslim East.