Publication Date
3rd century AH / 9th AD
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Gold cast in a mold.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
القطر: 1.2 سم ؛ الوزن: 3.45 جم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
3/ 21922
Record ID
object;ISL;eg;Mus01;51;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
3rd century AH / 9th AD
Notes
The piece is a gold dinar coin with Kufic writing on its front and back. The center of the obverse of the coin bears five lines of writing that read, “To God/Muhammad/Messenger/of God/The One who is approved by God.” The side margin of the coin bears a circular inscription that reads: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth to make it superior to all religions, even if the polytheists hate it.” As for the reverse of the coin, it bears in its center four lines of writing that read: “There is no god but / God alone / He has no partner / The delegate to God.” The outer margin of the reverse of the coin bears a circular inscription consisting of a Qur’anic text from verses 4 and 5 of Surat Al-Rum: “To God belongs the command before and after, and on that day the believers will rejoice in the victory of God.” While the inner margin of the back of the coin bears a circular inscription that reads, “In the name of God, this dinar was struck in Egypt in the year two hundred and sixty-eight.” When Ahmed Ibn Tulun assumed the Emir of Egypt (ruled in the period 254-270 AH / 868-884 AD), he worked to unify the Islamic states, and in 266 AH / 880 AD he was able to form a vast state. Since coins are among the most important symbols of the king and sultan, Ibn Tulun worked to mint money in his name in order to assert his control over his state. The Abbasid coins minted in the name of the Abbasid caliphs were the ones in circulation in Egypt when the Tulunid state was established. This style of coinage remained in use during the era of Ibn Tulun in terms of Arabic inscriptions and the writing of the name of the contemporary Abbasid Caliph on the back of the dinar, as Ibn Tulun did not deny the legitimacy of the Abbasid Caliph, and the name of Ahmad ibn Tulun was added under the name of the Abbasid Caliph. Ibn Tulun was interested in purifying the gold and raising the caliber of the Ahmadi dinar until the people accepted to deal in it without other money. The Ahmadi dinar also remained a role model, and no modifications occurred to its caliber or its texts except with regard to writing the names of the contemporary Tulunid ruler and the Abbasid caliph.
Sample Text
Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad “Dinar” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;eg;Mus01;51;ar
