ISLAMIC, Seljuks. Rum. Ghiyath al-Din Kay Khusraw II, first reign, AH 634-644 / AD 1237-1246. Dirham (Silver, 22 mm, 2.99 g, 3 h), Qunya, AH 641 = AD 1243/4. Lion advancing right; personification of sun above flanked by star and symbol; below, two retrograde S; around, legend bearing the name of the Abbasid caliph Al-Musta'sim. Rev. Legend bearing the name and title of Kay Khusraw II; in outer margin, mint and AH date. Broome 246 Gv(Vi). Izmirlier 411. Struck from slightly worn dies and with minor marks, otherwise, virtually as struck.


The sun face and lion on this coin type, sometimes shown together with other celestial bodies, probably represent the constellation of Leo. A different - but not necessarily contradicting - theory interprets the sun face as standing for the famous Georgian princess Tamar, the beloved wife of Kay Khusraw II, while the lion symbolizes the Sultan. This interpretation is based on Bar Hebraeus (1226-1286), a bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who noted that Kay Khusraw was so in love with Tamar that he expressed the wish to place an image of her on his dirhams.