Not sure how many Islamic collectors are here but for the guys who collect this series, this coin was one of my dreams. It was minted for couple years (202 and 201 AH) mentioning shiite imam al-Ridha as heir apparent but he poisoned him due to his growing popularity and fear of shiite revolts by administering poisoned grapes. Here is my Al-Ridha / Al-Ma'mun coin mint of 202 Isfahan mint.
Congratulations on acquiring this one ! I think that for many collectors the Arab script is a hurdle that requires some effort. But every collector likely knows the feeling and satisfaction of getting one of your dreamcoins !
@THCoins thanks for comment. Are you familiar with islamic or do you collect them? I agree the kufic script is hard to read and takes time but it is rewarding and very interesting types to collect they have immense amount of mints starting from late sasanian all the way to Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates we see lots of cities having their own mints and that makes it quite interesting to collect rare cities for these early islamic coins. I suggest buy from Steven Album auctions he is authority in these types of coins. @Theodosius here is my coin link in CNG: https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=354387 ISLAMIC, 'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. al-Ma'mun. AH 199-218 / AD 813-833. AR Dirham (27mm, 2.87 g, 3h). Citing 'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida as heir. Madinat Isbahan mint. Dated AH 202 (AD 817/8). Album 224; ICV 391. Good VF, lightly toned.
I don't collect Islamic coins specifically. I am specialized in coinage of northern India and the Pakistan/Afghan borderlands. And part of that coinage is Islamic or of a hybrid nature. Where i find the cultural hybrids the most interesting. Like this one of the Ghaznavid ruler Mas'ud. The pictography and text on the bull's side is still traditionally Indian. The name Mas'ud in Arabic on the horse side. But the purely Arabic text coins also have their own beauty. This is one issued under Kwarezm shah Al-ud-din Muhammad which i really like: Here the text on the side on the left reads: “السلطان/ ظل الله في / الأرض “ “Al-Sultan / Zil Allah fi / al’ard”. Which translates as: "The Sultan, the shadow of Allah on earth". Now that's a nice poetic honorary title i think.
very nice ones congrats @THCoins I specially like the horse rider for masud I I have gold coins of masud I and his father mahmud but yet have to buy the horse rider one. I remember there was a very similar horse rider type attributed to Yaqub Layth saffarid which also I want to buy later. I also have 2 nice coins of mohammad khawrizmshah one gold and one silver. I will post them tonight when I get home check it later and let me know what you think.
