AFGHANISTAN. Saqqawist Emirate. Habibullah Kalakani, 1929. Silver Qiran (1/2 Rupee). Kabul, AH1347 (1929). UNC+. Obverse Die Crack. KM-896. Schon-52.

This extraordinary silver Qiran — equivalent to 1/2 Rupee — was struck at the Kabul Mint in AH1347 (1929 AD) during one of the most turbulent and historically dramatic episodes in Afghan history. Habibullah Kalakani was the Emir of Afghanistan from 17 January to 13 October 1929, and the leader of the Saqqawists. During the Afghan Civil War, he captured vast swathes of Afghanistan and ruled Kabul during what is known in Afghan historiography as the Saqqawist period. No country recognized Kalakani as ruler of Afghanistan.

Born in the village of Kalakan north of Kabul and derogatorily nicknamed "Bacha-yi Saqaw" (Son of the Water Carrier) by his enemies, Kalakani rose from humble origins to seize the Afghan throne — a reign that lasted less than nine months before he was defeated by Mohammad Nadir Shah and executed on 1 November 1929. His coinage, struck during this brief and unrecognized rule, is among the most historically charged and scarce of all Afghan numismatic issues.

Catalogued as KM-896 and Schön-52, this Qiran was struck in .900 fine silver, weighing 4.6 grams with a diameter of 21.5mm. Because Kalakani's reign lasted less than nine months and his government was never internationally recognized, the total coinage output was extremely limited. Survivors in any grade are scarce; in UNC+ condition, this piece is exceptional and represents one of the finest known examples of Saqqawist coinage.

Whether you collect Afghan coins by ruler, Islamic revolutionary coinage, or simply the rarest and most historically significant pieces the region has produced, this UNC+ Qiran is a centerpiece-quality acquisition.