A mighty bird from a rugged country.

Kingdom of Afghanistan

The land that is now Afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions. At the gateway between Asia and Europe, this land was conquered by Darius I of Babylonia circa 500 B.C., and Alexander the Great of Macedonia in 329 B.C., among others.

Mahmud of Ghazni, an 11th century conqueror who created an empire from Iran to India, is considered the greatest of Afghanistan’s conquerors.

Genghis Khan took over the territory in the 13th century, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that the area was united as a single country. By 1870, after the area had been invaded by various Arab conquerors, Islam had taken root.

During the 19th century, Britain, looking to protect its Indian empire from Russia, attempted to annex Afghanistan, resulting in a series of British-Afghan Wars (1838-42, 1878-80, 1919-21).

After defeating the British in the third British-Afghan War in 1921, Amir Amanullah Khan, proclaimed himself King in 1926 and launched modernisation plans. Forced to abdicate in 1929, Zahir Shah was made King in 1933, ruling stably for the next 40 years.

In the 1950s, the King’s cousin Gen. Mohammed Daoud Khan becomes prime minister and builds closer ties with Russia. In 1957, as part of Daoud’s reforms, women are allowed to attend university and enter the workforce. By the 1970s, the country became a lot more communist, culminating in a military coup in 1973 by Gen. Khan. He established The Republic of Afghanistan with close ties to the USSR, and installed himself as President. We’ll have to find a more recent coin next time to cover off that history.

Obverse

The obverse of the coin features a radiant eagle statue, with wings spread wide.

Above the bird is the country name, أفغانستان, and below is the year ١٣٤٠ (1340), both in Arabic.

Afghan Eagle

The coin features an eagle, almost certainly, a golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos. The golden eagle has been a part of human folklore and mythology for millennia, often revered as a solar animal. The bird’s cultural and historical significance is deeply rooted in Afghan society. It reflects the resilience and pride of a nation that has stood strong in the face of adversities, as well as strength and independence mirroring the rugged landscape of the country. The eagle’s keen vision and sovereignty over the skies parallel the aspirations of the Afghan people for clarity of vision and sovereignty over their land. The bird featured on the national emblem from 1974-8.

(A golden eagle, from Interesting-Things.com)

While the bird itself grows to 66 cm – 100 cm (2.1 – 3.3 ft), with a weight of 3 – 6.35kg (6.6 – 14 lb). The average wingspan is 1.8 – 2.34 metres (5.9 – 7.7 ft).

Looking at how wide the bird’s wings are on the coin, I wondered if it had a particularly large wingspan. The Wandering Albatross has a wingspan of 3.7 Metres (12.1 feet), a body size of 80-135 cm (2.6 – 4.4 ft) and weight of 103 kg (229 lb).

The largest wingspan to bodyweight ratio winner is the Magnificent Frigatebird with a wingspan up to 2.4 metres, and weight of 1.4kg, so the Golden Eagle would be up there on a list of wingspan weight or length (although I couldn’t find a list).

(Photograph of the Eagle of Kayan, from KayanValley.com)

When searching for the bird, I came across the Eagle of Kayan. A notable architectural structure located in the Kayan Valley of northern Baghlan Province, Afghanistan. Constructed in the early 1990s, this structure emerged as a significant landmark, symbolizing the cultural and architectural heritage of the region.  The interior of the Eagle served as an assembly hall, accommodating 10 to 12 guests, and was used for political and cultural gatherings that reflected the community dynamics of the Kayan Valley during the 1990s. The Kayan Valley itself, often compared to Alamut in Iran due to its similar topography, was sometimes referred to as the “second eagle’s nest.” The valley was a thriving region, known for its schools, universities, cultural centres, factories, and libraries, which made it unique in Afghanistan during a period marked by conflict.

In early September 1998, the Taliban gained control of northern Afghanistan, including the Kayan Valley. Shortly thereafter, the Eagle of Kayan was destroyed by the Taliban using explosives. This destruction was part of a broader campaign against cultural and historical monuments, similar to their later actions involving the Bamyan Buddhas

Reverse

The reverse contains:

• a wheat sprig left
• large denomination numeral ۲ centre
• with word دوی above
• unit, افغانی (Afghanis) below
• three stars right

I think because I am used to western (Arabic) numerals, I do really enjoy any coin with large numerals in another style, from Japanese (or this 5 Sen), to Thai (One of my favourite coins though not the best example, some of the 5 Baht demonstrate this more), and of course easter Arabic, like this 5 Qirsh from Egypt.

This coin is listed as KM #954. Numista notes that: There is evidence that suggests that the KM# 954.2 variety was the first Republican issue struck in 1973. I couldn’t find much on that little point, but if you know more, please do comment below!

What is your favourite bird on a coin? I have covered a few but I’m always keen to see others!