'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tamid. AH 256-279 / AD 870-892. AR Donative Dirham (19.3mm, 2.75 g, 4h). Al-Dinawar mint. Dated AH 277 (AD 890/1). Fine.

Islamic Auction 4 – Session 1
Lot: 65. Estimated: $ 500

‘Abbasid Caliphate, Silver

Sold For $ 575. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tamid. AH 256-279 / AD 870-892. AR Donative Dirham (19.3mm, 2.75 g, 4h). Al-Dinawar mint. Dated AH 277 (AD 890/1). Obverse: al-nasir / li-din / Allah in field; Qur’an 22:41 around / Reverse: al-Muwaffaq / billah / al-nasr in field; mint and date around. Album B241. Traces of mounting. Fine. Very rare.

Ex Morton & Eden 72, 15 December 2014, lot 687.

This coin was struck during al-Muwaffaq's campaigns in Jibal against the Dulafids, whose renunciation of allegiance to al-Muwaffaq in AH 275 is mentioned in literary sources and reflected in the coinage. Al-Muwaffaq left Baghdad for Jibal in AH 276, entering Isbahan later that year. The Dulafids abandoned the city, and their loss of control in the region is reflected in the paucity of their coinage at this time. Indeed, the only coins issued by the Dulafids in AH 276 appear to have been dinars bearing the mint-name Mah al-Kufa - the alternative name for Dinawar, reflecting the long-standing arrangement whereby the revenues from Dinawar and its environs were allocated to al-Kufa. As well as these extremely rare donative dirhams, al-Muwaffaq also struck gold ‘Abbasid dinars with the mint-name al-Dinawar in the year AH 277. It seems likely that this was a deliberate and conscious act on al-Muwaffaq’s part, and that using a different mint-name on both the gold and silver coins was intended to highlight that the city was now under his control, and no longer under Dulafid authority.

The final winners of all CNG Islamic Auction 4 – Session 1 lots will be determined during the live sale that will be held on 19 October 2023.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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