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Drachm - Misma' Eastern Sistan - Arab-Sasanian
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 750-770 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a Zoroastrian fire altar flanked by two attendant figures standing in frontal pose, rendered in the standard Sasanian tradition inherited by Arab-Sasanian coinage. The fire altar occupies the central field, with the two attendants depicted symmetrically on either side, each holding a staff or lance. A circular border frames the central group, with a Pahlavi marginal legend recording the mint and date. The inner field contains an Arabic monotheistic declaration. The overall design reflects the transitional nature of Arab-Sasanian coinage, blending Sasanian religious imagery with early Islamic epigraphy. |
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| Mint | Zaranj (Sistan) |
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| Additional information |
Album 85 covers the transitional Arab-Sasanian issues struck in the former Sasanian heartland immediately after the Abbasid revolution of 750, when the new dynasty was still relying on existing provincial minting infrastructure rather than its own reformed coinage system. The Misma' mint in eastern Sistan — a region that had resisted Arab conquest longer than most — continued producing coins that were structurally Sasanian in format, adapted with Arabic religious marginalia.
Sistan was a persistent flashpoint. Kharijite rebellions flared repeatedly through the 750s and 760s, and coins from this mint and period are notably scarce, likely reflecting disrupted production rather than low original output.