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1 Fals - Ali II ibn Ahmad
| Issuer | Emirate of Crete |
|---|---|
| Year | 943-949 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The Emirate of Crete was one of the most unusual polities in medieval Mediterranean history — an Andalusian Muslim state established on a Byzantine island around 824 by exiles expelled from Córdoba following a failed revolt. It held out against repeated Byzantine reconquest attempts for nearly a century and a half, functioning as a significant base for Aegean piracy throughout that period. Ali II ibn Ahmad ruled during the decade before Nikephoros Phokas finally retook the island in 961, ending the emirate entirely.
Copper fals from this emirate are rare survivors. The island's output was limited, and Byzantine reconquest was rarely kind to the material culture of the displaced administration.