Catalog
Dirham - al-Ma'mun citing 'Abd Allah
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 811-825 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.58 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the Islamic profession of faith (shahada) arranged in three horizontal lines: 'There is no god but God alone, with no partner.' The marginal legend in Arabic Kufic script records the mint and date formula: 'In the name of God, this dirham was struck at al-Shash in the year one hundred and ninety-five (195 AH).' The inscription is executed in the characteristic angular Kufic style of early Abbasid coinage, with no figurative imagery, conforming strictly to aniconic Islamic numismatic tradition. The field is plain, with the text serving as the sole decorative and informational element. |
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| Mintage | 195 (811) - al-Shash 195 (811) - Ma'din al-Shash 196 (812) - Arran 197 (813) - al-Mada'in 197 (813) - Arran 198 (814) - al-Mada'in 210 (825) - Ma'din Bajunays |
| Additional information |
Al-Ma'mun's early coinage is complicated by the civil war fought against his brother al-Amin between 811 and 813. During that conflict, al-Ma'mun governed from Khurasan under the name 'Abd Allah — his given name — rather than his regnal title, and dirhams citing him in this form predate his consolidation of the caliphate in Baghdad. The naming convention on these coins reflects a deliberate political posture: a provincial governor asserting legitimacy without yet claiming the throne outright.
Album 223.8 distinguishes this type within a closely related series differentiated primarily by mint and Quranic citation variants.