The Horde's Steppe Coinage: Money and Economy Under Mongol Rule

In this episode of The Golden Horde, Lucas and Luna explore the economic lifeblood of the Mongol Empire's western ulus: its coins. They trace the evolution of currency from early silver dirhams struck under Batu Khan to the massive copper pul and silver som that fueled commerce from Sarai to Caffa. The conversation examines how Mongol rulers used coinage as both economic tool and propaganda — stamping Arabic inscriptions, tamga symbols, and even the names of khans to assert legitimacy and control. They unpack the surprising discovery of Chinese-style rectangular silver ingots at Sarai, evidence of the eastern trade routes that kept the Horde connected to the Yuan dynasty. Lucas explains why the Horde's coinage was uniquely standardized across the steppe, how the tamga tax worked, and why debasement and inflation plagued the Horde during the Great Troubles. The episode also touches on hoards found by archaeologists in modern Russia and Ukraine, and what they reveal about the Horde's commercial networks. A vivid, grounded look at how money — not just swords — held the Golden Horde together. #GoldenHorde #MongolCoinage #SaraiMint #Dirham #Som #Pul #Tamga #BatuKhan #KhanUzbek #MamlukSultanate #PaxMongolica #SteppeEconomy #JochidUlus #Caffa #YuanDynasty #Numismatics #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo