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1 Dirham - Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Mu'min
| Issuer | Almohad Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1130-1163 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse lettering | لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله المهدي إمام الأمة (Margin) الله ربنا محمد رسولنا المهدي إمامنا |
| Reverse description | Central field presents a square cartouche delimited by rows of pellets on all four sides, containing three horizontal lines of bold Arabic script naming the Almohad ruler. The inscription reads: 'The Emir Abu Muhammad / 'Abd al-Mu'min ibn 'Ali,' identifying the first Almohad caliph by his honorific, given name, and patronymic. A circular marginal legend surrounds the square, bearing the Basmala followed by a blessing on the Prophet: 'In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, may Allah bless Muhammad.' The overall design follows the strictly epigraphic, aniconic tradition characteristic of Almohad silver dirhams, with no figural imagery, consistent with the dynasty's austere theological principles. |
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Abd al-Mumin was the first caliph of the Almohad dynasty proper — not its founder ideologically, that was Ibn Tumart — but the military commander who actually built the empire, taking Marrakesh from the Almoravids in 1147 and eventually controlling territory from the Atlantic coast to Tripolitania. The square-within-circle format adopted under his reign became the defining coinage architecture of Almohad silver, a deliberate break from Almoravid numismatic tradition that carried religious and political weight in equal measure.
Vives 2046 is among the earlier attributions in the series, predating the more regularized later strikes.