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Dirham - al-Mahdi Madinat al-Salam
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 775-785 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Aniconic field featuring three horizontal lines of Arabic Kufic script arranged concentrically within a single inner circle, conveying the shahada (profession of faith). The central legend reads in three lines across the field. The inscription is enclosed by a plain inner circle, beyond which a wide marginal band carries a continuous circular legend in Arabic script. The entire design is consistent with the reformed Umayyad-derived Abbasid epigraphic dirham tradition, with no figural imagery. The flan is irregular and slightly broad, typical of hand-struck silver coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | لا اله الا الله وحده لا شرك له (Translation: la alh `illa alllah wahdah la sharik lah There is no diety except | (the one) God alone | He has no equal) |
| Reverse description | Aniconic reverse field displaying four horizontal lines of Arabic Kufic script within a plain inner circle, referencing the Prophet Muhammad as the Messenger of God and naming the reigning caliph al-Mahdi. The field inscription is bordered by a single raised inner circle, outside of which runs a continuous marginal legend in Arabic script recording the mint name Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) and the regnal year in the Hijri calendar. A pellet punctuates the end of the reverse central legend. The design follows the standard Abbasid epigraphic format established after the reform of Abd al-Malik, with no figurative elements. |
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