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Dinar - al-Rashid JA'FAR in the field - Barmakid dynasty
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 786-809 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Aniconic design typical of Abbasid gold coinage. The central field contains a three-line Kufic Arabic religious inscription (the Shahada), reading 'There is no god but God alone, He has no partner.' A single-line marginal legend encircles the central text within a beaded border, carrying the Quranic verse (IX:33) attesting to the mission of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire design is executed in bold, angular Kufic script against a plain gold field, with no figurative imagery. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Aniconic reverse following the standard Abbasid dinar format. The central field bears a multi-line Kufic Arabic inscription stating the mint formula, the Hijri year of issue, and the name 'Ja'far' (the caliph Harun al-Rashid's personal name), separated by decorative horizontal lines. A circular marginal legend in Kufic script runs within the beaded border, containing the Basmala and additional religious text. The composition is purely epigraphic, reflecting the orthodox Islamic prohibition on figurative coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Harun al-Rashid's early dinars, struck in the immediate aftermath of his accession in 170 AH, carry the unusual field inscription naming him as Ja'far — his kunya before the caliphate formalized his regnal identity. The Barmakid attribution reflects the extraordinary administrative grip that family held over Abbasid fiscal machinery during this period; Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki effectively controlled state finances through the 790s, and mint policy was inseparable from his influence.
That influence ended violently in 803, when al-Rashid had Ja'far al-Barmaki executed and the family destroyed overnight — making coins bearing explicit Barmakid-era characteristics a narrow documentary window into a patronage network the caliph later erased.