ISLAMIC. Mongols. Ilkhanids. Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad Khudabanda Öljeytü. A.H. 703-716 / A.D. 1304-1316. Æ fals. 3.53 gm. 25 mm. Sun type. Sun in the form of a face, surrounded by rays and pellets / Kalima in three lines. Album 2190. Diler 430. Good Very Fine; brown patina; unusually attractive example. Scarce.

The Mongols were pastoral nomads of the Asian steppe who herded sheep, goats, horses, camels, and yaks, moved with the seasons, and lived in temporary camps of circular felt tents or yurts. The Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan in 1206 extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf. The dreaded Mongol hordes of mostly cavalry overran and ruthlessly subjugated much of Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, China, India, and Asia, and ruled under an enforced "Pax Mongolica." At its peak, it covered some 9 million square miles, making it the largest contiguous land empire in world history.