Almohad Dirhams and Muslim Spain

I came upon this Almohad Dirham on sale on the 'bay. I was not looking into picking up this type but here we are. The more I look at it the more entertaining the script is. The coin is mint-less and dateless and I was wondering if there is away to more precisely narrow down the mint region based on the calligraphy? It seems that many of these mints have there own take on the legend. Can any
one say anything more about this particular specimen. I have no experience in this coinage but the script demonstrates a high level of skill in its execution. Chronologically is this earlier in the series? Is this legend actually readable is it "blundered?"
These are sometimes marketed as coins of La Reconquista. I am pretty sure there was some conquisting going on at this time. The coins circulated throughout the Sahara and France and Spain until Islamic coinage was banned by the Pope.


Almohad Caliphate
(Muwahid)
Islamic Iberia and North Africa
AR Dirham AH 524- 640 (AD 1156- 1272)
13.8 mm x 14.0 mm, 1.40 grams

 

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Interesting coin, but you know me. I have no information to help out in this area. Good luck.

 

Thanks Bud! Yea, its a bit of an odd type. Anonymous, widely used, and very inexpensive.

 

Islamic Spain is missing from my collection. As a matter of fact my ancestral homeland in general is underrepresented in my collection. Very nice pickup Anoob.

 

Given that the coin looks wafer-thin, it's amazing that it survived in such good condition!

 

Sorry Noob, but I don't have the time to explain to you all of the answers regarding your OP coin (man, where would I start?!)

... actually Noob, I probably know even less than Bing regarding these babies?!

Ummm, but in true stevex6-fashion, I do have two Dirhim examples to post (hey, maybe there'll be some coin-clues written on these sweet examples, eh?)

ISLAMIC, Anatolia & al-Jazira (Post-Seljuk), Zangids (al-Mawsil), Saif al-Din Ghazi II, Æ Dirhem
AH 565-576 / AD 1170-1180
Dated AH 567 (AD 1171/2)
Diameter: 30 mm
Weight: 13.21 grams
Obverse: Draped young male bust facing slightly left, wearing hair in foreknot; above, winged figures flanking; AH date to right and left
Reverse: Name and titles of Saif al-Din Ghazi II in five lines and in outer margins



Seljuqs of Rum, Kaykhusraw II
Silver Dirham
Konya Mint
AH 639 / AD 1241-1242
Diameter: 23 mm
Weight: 2.9 grams
Obverse: Sun and Lion
Reverse: The answers to all of Noob's questions





Cheers, brother

 

Well if you're going to whip out any old dirhem, Steve, then I'm going to do so too


SELJUKS OF RUM, Ghiyath al-Din Kay Khusraw II bin Kay Qubadh
Konya mint, CE 1241/2 (AH 639)
Silver Dirhem
Obv: lion advancing right; facing sun and star above, two stars below
Rev: legend across field
Ref: Broome 243G; Izmirlier 403; Album 1218
from Great Collections, Aug. 2013. Freed from its plastic prison, ANACS* EF 45, #5172348

*Great Collections may be the only ancient coin client for ANACS. I've only seen ANACS-slabbed ancients in their auctions, although they do sometimes use NGC. Have any of you seen ancient coins in ANACS slabs elsewhere?

 

Agreed, that what drew me to the piece. It is hard to imagine that something so small and thin can demonstrate such fine craftsmanship and then survive for hundreds of years intact.

Come to find out the text is readable, (special thanks to Afrasi @ WoC)


There is no god but Allah.
The whole commandment is unto Allah.
There is no strength except in Allah.


Allah is our master.
Muhammad is our prophet.
Al-Mahdi is our leader.

Based on style the coin is official Anonymous dirham most likely minted in Morocco. Neato!

 

I have seen a few ANACS slabs over the years. They used to grade ancients and medieval Eastern coins, Sassanian coins, but i don't believe they do so anymore.

 

A very pleasing little coin. I'm growing more interested in certain Islamic coins - the various silver types that are covered in Arabic script can be quite beautiful.

 

hey, i just got one of these yesterday! LOL! i'm not sure if we have great minds, but we certainly think alike!

i'll post mine here later tonight.

 

Fascinating and beautiful coins guys!!!

But, I think I have' Bing' beat---I know absolutely nothing about these types, besides what I have just read...

Is 'Al-Mahdi' a title or a historical person like one depicted about the Sudan, Gordan and Kharthoum...(? spelling)????

 

It's hard to know less than nothing!

 

Honestly I am not sure. If the coin was earlier I would say it was al-Mahdi the Abbasid Caliph. I am thinking it refers to Muhammad al-Mahdi the sin-less follower of the prophet Muhammad. Google " The Occulation" as it applies to Shia Islam.

 

My only dirham:

Al-Mansur, Abbasid Caliphate
AR dirham
Obv: Kufic legends: There is no deity except God alone He has no equal (in center); In the name of God. This dirham was struck in Madinat al-Salam year 155 (in margins)
Rev: Kufic legends: Muhammad the Messenger of God (in center); Muhammad is the messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to reveal it to all religions even if the polytheists abhor it (in margins)
Mint: Madinat al-Salam (struck 771-772 AD)
Ref: Album 213
Size: 25 mm wide

 

here's mine new one!



attribution: what AN said (as far as i know), but...

15 mm
1.7g


i've wanted one of these for a while, AN recently brought one to my attention but couldn't get it at the time (I believe that is the one you got, correct AN?). found this similar one recently and picked it up.

i'm not sure where to put this one..

i have a box of "weirdos", consisting of very large coins, scyphate coins, stuff that doesn't fit nicely in flips.

i have a box of roman coins....all types.

i have a box of western, but not roman (greek, byzantine, medieval european).

i have a box of mid east and asian coins. my other islamic coins are here. however, this coin was minted west of rome...so should i put it with my western coins? hmmm...i think it will go with it's Islamic friends, even if it isn't geographically eastern.

 

It would seem that they were very careful about making flans that would hold all the lettering and border.

 

Excellent coin!
Chris you are right this was the one brought to your attention. It was on sale and felt I was doing the numismatic community a disservice by leaving it unsold. There are several others offered by the seller and all are pretty high grade. I am glad you opt'd to get it. I wasn't planning on picking it up but I just had to pull the trigger.

I believe your coin is the same there is nothing where the mint should be. (Bottom Left of Obverse.)

 

Yes JA, good observation, I was amazed by the same thing.

 

Mine is like VK's - same mint but later in date. The mint is on the obverse between 8 and 6 o'clock. The date starts there and climbs up to 2 o'clock. I'm told mine reads 185 AH so it is 801 AD which make the coin from the reign of Harun al Rashid (which is why I bought it - I did not know his name was not on the coin). My reverse legend is longer and has a large Allah in the middle of the second line (the only word I can read). I am unable to read the number 185 on my coin but thanks to the luck of VK's coin being 155 and mine 185 I now believe the date reads base inward right to left five and eighty and 100 which is a great advance in my understanding of the matter ----- if I am correct??? If I liked these, I would feel obligated to learn the numbers and other mint names so I'm glad I don't. I do now know what parts of the legends are significant so I might pick up others with super clear legends on the obverse from 8 to 2.