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Dirham - al-Ẓāhir Baybars I
| Issuer | Mamluk Sultanate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1260-1277 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.91 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse field contains a multi-line Arabic inscription arranged in horizontal registers, citing the reigning Abbasid caliph al-Mustansir Billah with his full honorific titulature, acknowledging Abbasid suzerainty in accordance with Mamluk political and religious practice. The field is enclosed by a circular inner line border surrounded by an outer ring of pellets. No circular marginal legend is present. The flan is irregular and the strike is slightly off-center, consistent with hand-hammered production methods of the period. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Baybars I consolidated Mamluk power with unusual speed after personally striking the fatal blow to Mongol expansion at Ain Jalut in 1260 — the same year he seized the sultanate by murdering his predecessor Qutuz. His monetary program was deliberate political theater: standardizing the dirham coinage helped project legitimacy for a ruler whose claim to power rested entirely on force. The Bal II#44 type belongs to a reign defined by near-constant military campaigning, including the systematic dismantling of remaining Crusader fortifications along the Levantine coast.