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Dinar - Nur al-Din Il-Arslan Shahrazur
| Issuer | Zengids of Shahrazur |
|---|---|
| Year | 1249 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | A#1886 |
| Obverse description | Central field occupied by multiple horizontal lines of Arabic legend in fine naskh script, densely packed across the flan, conveying the Shahada and ruler's titles. A circular marginal legend in Arabic script runs along the periphery of the coin, partially weak due to the irregular flan. The striking is bold and deeply impressed, characteristic of high-quality Zengid gold coinage of the mid-13th century. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays a multi-line Arabic inscription arranged in horizontal registers, framed within a rope or cable border encircling the inner legend. An outer marginal legend in Arabic script runs near the rim, separated from the central field by the decorative border. The composition follows the classical Abbasid-inspired dinar format, with the caliph's name and mint or date formula distributed across the registers. The engraving is crisp and high relief, consistent with Zengid minting practice. |
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| Additional information |
Nur al-Din Il-Arslan ruled the Shahrazur branch of the Zengid dynasty during a period when the broader Zengid confederation had already fragmented under Mongol pressure and Ayyubid encroachment. Shahrazur, the highland region straddling what is now the Iraq-Iran border, retained a degree of autonomy precisely because of its difficult terrain — but that buffer was running out fast by mid-century.
The Mongol campaigns under Hulagu reached Mesopotamia within a decade of this coin's striking, erasing most of the minor dynasties in the region entirely. Issues from the Shahrazur Zengids are rare survivors of a political moment that closed abruptly and permanently.