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Dirham - al-Salih Isma'il Damascus
| Issuer | Ayyubid Emirate of Damascus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1237-1245 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a large square frame enclosing four lines of bold Naskh Arabic legend naming the Ayyubid ruler al-Salih Isma'il with his honorific titles. The square is bordered by a dotted inner frame and surrounded by a circular marginal legend in the field between the square and the coin's irregular edge. The overall composition follows the classic Ayyubid epigraphic dirham type, with no figurative imagery, relying entirely on calligraphic content for identification. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
Al-Salih Isma'il ruled Damascus during one of the most fractious periods of Ayyubid dynastic politics, when the family's various branches — controlling Egypt, Syria, and the Jazira — were in near-constant conflict over supremacy. Isma'il notoriously allied with the Crusader states against his own nephew al-Salih Ayyub of Egypt, granting the Franks access to Safed and Beaufort Castle in exchange for military support. The arrangement was deeply unpopular and ultimately failed to secure his position.
The volume of Bal reference numbers attributed to this type reflects the extensive die production across his eight-year hold on Damascus — a mint with continuous output through periods of siege, political reversal, and shifting allegiance.