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1 Dinar - Muhammad bin Saba Adan
| Issuer | Zurayid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1145-1155 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a multi-line Arabic legend in Kufic script arranged in horizontal registers across the central field, enclosed within a circular inner border. The inscriptions record the name and titles of the Zurayid ruler Muhammad bin Saba Adan along with additional Islamic formulae. A marginal circular legend in Arabic runs around the periphery, separated by a plain raised ring. The flan edge is characteristically irregular, consistent with the hammered technique employed for this denomination. The engraving style closely follows Fatimid epigraphic conventions common to Yemeni gold dinars of this period. |
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| Edge | Plain. |
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| Additional information |
The Zurayids were a minor Ismaili Shia dynasty controlling Aden and its surrounding ports during the 12th century, nominally subordinate to the Sulayhids of Yemen but increasingly autonomous by the mid-1100s. Muhammad bin Saba Adan held authority over one of the most strategically valuable harbors in the Indian Ocean trade network, and the gold content of this dinar reflects the commercial wealth that flowed through Aden rather than any significant local mining. The dynasty's Ismaili allegiance meant these coins acknowledged the Fatimid caliph in Cairo rather than the Abbasid.