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Dirham - al-Mahdi
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 776-785 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Aniconic design typical of Abbasid silver coinage. The central field carries the Islamic profession of faith (shahada) arranged in three horizontal lines of Arabic kufic script within a plain inner circle. A decorative inner border of small pellets or dashes separates the central legend from the circular marginal legend, which runs along the inner edge of the outer border and records the mint name and AH date. The outer border is defined by a second concentric beaded or linear ring. The coin is struck on an irregularly shaped flan with characteristic hammerwork die-shift and slight weakness. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Central Legend لا اله الا الله وحده لا شرك له Marginal Legend بسم الله ضرب هذا الدرهم بالبصرة سنة احدى و ستين و مئة (Translation: There is no diety except | (the one) God alone | He has no equal In The Name of God. This dirham was struck in al-Basra in the year one and sixty and one hundred (161)) |
| Reverse description | Aniconic reverse in the standard Abbasid kufic style. The central field contains a multi-line Arabic religious inscription arranged in four or five horizontal lines within a plain inner circle, naming the Prophet Muhammad and the reigning caliph al-Mahdi. A beaded or linear inner border frames the central area, beyond which a continuous circular marginal legend runs, quoting the Quranic verse of the mission of the Prophet (Quran 9:33). A second concentric outer border encloses the entire design. The flan is irregular and slightly uneven, consistent with hand-hammered production. |
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