Qanhari Dirham 'Damma' - Al-Hakam ibn 'Awana

Al-Hakam ibn 'Awana governed Sind during one of the most contested periods of Arab administration in the subcontinent, following the initial conquest under Muhammad ibn Qasim in 711. The Qanhari dirham — sometimes called a damma — was a radically reduced silver fraction developed specifically for local exchange in Sind, where Arab monetary norms collided with pre-existing Indo-Sassanian commercial habits. At under half a gram, these pieces circulated in an economy where the standard Islamic dirham was simply too large a unit for everyday transactions.

Ibn 'Awana's tenure saw repeated tribal unrest and military pressure along the Indus frontier. Surviving specimens are genuinely scarce.