ABOUT SHADIBEK, ACCORDING TO NUMISMATICS

Abstract

It is no secret that coins are a most valuable source of historical information. There are some historic periods with events that can only be traced through coins minted during that time. We got interested in one of such time periods, namely, in the last years of life of Juchid Shadibek, a Jushid khan, who, by the time under study, had already been deprived of the Horde throne. It is noteworthy that coins were minted on his behalf by the Shirvan rulers. It is possible that Shadibek, being a Chingizid, could have become the supreme ruler of Shirvan. In fact, the Shirvanshahs perceived him as the legitimate sovereign of the Horde.However, the researchers are not completely sure in determining Shadibek’s zone of control, for it is difficult to agree that it were the Shirvanshahs alone who accepted Shadibek as a sovereign. It is rather likely that the deposed Horde sovereign could have support from local commercial towns and tribes who did not accept the henchmen of Edigei, a Shadibek’s enemy.Recently, we have clarified these assumptions. The fact is an asper, a socalled Tatar-Genoa coin, was found in the North Caucasus, more precisely, in Kabardino-Balkaria. The obverse of the coin contained a two-pronged tamga, framed by the legend of “IMPERATOR”, whereas the reverse had an Arabgraphic inscription with the name of “Shadibek”. We assume that this coin could have been minted on behalf of Teodoro II Palaeologus (1381-1418) who ruled Genoa in 1409-1413 and was the Imperial Vicar. The coins containing such inscription are well known among researchers. Obviously, this asper coin could have been minted after Shadibek’s deposition from the Horde throne. Based on this fact, we can assume that the ruling of the said Juchid was recognized in the medieval Sebastopolis (now Sokhumi), which was an important Genoa center in the Eastern Black Sea region known for minting the so-called “Sebastopolis asper” coins. These asper coins played a significant role circulating in the medieval Georgia and the whole Black Sea region.Taking this into account, we paid attention to quite rare silver coins with the image of a saint on the obverse and the legend of “+ПLAN SABAS” on the reverse. One should note such coins are usually attributed to the issues of southern Italian Salerno. However, having gathered the information on the findings of such coins in the northern Black Sea coast, we concluded that they may have been minted in the area. The fact is that the obverse of the coin has an embossed image of St. Matthew, proven by the legend located on the sides of the coin and the stamp of “+ПLAN SABAS” on the reverse. The latter give us every reason to dismantle “Sabas region”, which is a clear indication that the coin was minted in the medieval Sebastopolis. Indeed, we can find the evidence of such emissions in the written sources.After studying the coins, not only have we defined Shadibek’s zone of control after his deposition from the Horde throne, but also clarified the situation in Sebastopolis at the beginning of the 15th century, namely, the fact that it had an influential Genoa community with the right to issue silver coins.