Catalog
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| Issuer | Islamic State of Iraq and Syria |
|---|---|
| Year | 1437 (2016) |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the large Arabic numeral ه (5) within a toothed inner circle, surrounded by a milled annular border. The issuer name in Arabic script arcs across the upper portion of the field, while the denomination in words and additional Arabic legends occupy the lower and lateral fields. The overall design is in low relief against a flat, unadorned background. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a central multi-line Arabic calligraphic inscription occupying the inner field, rendered in a bold, traditional style reminiscent of early Islamic coinage. The inscription is encircled by a decorative border of interlaced geometric or foliate motifs extending to the coin's rim, evoking the aesthetic of classical Abbasid-era dirhams. The overall composition is deeply struck with strong relief. |
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| Additional information |
ISIS began issuing physical coinage in 2015 as a deliberate ideological act — the group framed its own currency as a rejection of the "crusader" paper money system and a restoration of early Islamic monetary practice. The silver dirham denomination was modeled on weights from the Umayyad reform coinage of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the late 7th-century caliph who standardized Islamic silver across the caliphate. Whether these pieces ever circulated in any meaningful economic sense remains disputed; most examples appear to have left ISIS-held territory quickly, ending up with collectors, intelligence services, or journalists rather than in any functional market.