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Fals - Anonymous al-Mawsil
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 750-1258 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Fals (1⁄60) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Reverse field features a multi-line Kufic Arabic inscription arranged in horizontal registers within a linear border, mirroring the compositional style of the obverse. The legends include mint and/or religious formulae referencing the authority of the Abbasid caliph. The script is angular Kufic, struck with moderate relief on an irregularly shaped copper flan. Flat areas and die wear are evident, consistent with heavily circulated provincial copper coinage. No figural or decorative elements are present. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Anonymous copper fals from al-Mawsil (Mosul) are among the most administratively ambiguous issues of the Abbasid period — struck without a caliph's name, likely by local mint officials operating under delegated authority rather than direct caliphal instruction. Mosul functioned as a critical northern hub connecting the caliphate's Iraqi heartland to the Jazira and beyond, and its mint operated with considerable autonomy during periods of provincial fragmentation, particularly under the Hamdanid interlude of the 10th century.
Anonymous attribution makes precise dating within the five-century window effectively impossible without die study or archaeological context.