GIRAY KHANS: Shahin Giray, 1777-1783, BI kara-beshlyk (1.44g), Baghcha-Saray, AH1191 year 2, A-2116, Ret-19, standard type, but a superb example will almost no weakness, rare in this quality, EF-AU, ex Dick Nauta Collection. The billon kara-beshlyk is the most common of all the coins of Shahin Giray. In his massive publication, Valentin Sariev has catalogued these in great detail, year 2 (his types #77-115), year 3 (#116-235), and year 4 (#236-311), which is essentially a die analysis, far too tedious for the average collector, and ignored here for the less expensive coins. The consignor has assigned Retowski numbers for most of his coins of Shahin Giray, which we have indicated here.

The Giray Khans were the rulers of the Crimean Khanate from 1441 to 1783.  The Khanate was also known by following names; Qırım Hanlığı, Qırım Yurtu, Great Horde, Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography as Little Tartary or Tartaria Minor. This Crimean Tatar state was the longest-lived of the Turkic khanates that succeeded the empire of the Golden Horde. Established by Hacı I Giray in 1441, it was regarded as the direct heir to the Golden Horde and to Desht-i-Kipchak. The Giray Khanate was annexed by Catherine the Great of Russia. On 8 April 1783, in violation of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, Catherine II intervened in the civil war, de facto annexing the whole Crimean Peninsula as the Taurida Governorate.

Estimate: 80-120 USD