Thin silver dirham coin AH99 Umar Wasit mint

orgmr

This thin silver coin has a type of writing I couldn't find. It is about 26mm, 2.5g, has a bend in it, and has some straight parts to the edge. Maybe it was clipped? Can anyone tell me what this is? Thanks

MasonG

It's a silver dirham, more investigation would be required to get a more accurate description. Here's something similar:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/koonoz_al_turath_trading/269/product/islamic_coins_umayyad_anonymous_temp_marwan_ii_silver_dirham_aljazira_128h/958296/Default.aspx

edited to add...

You can search for similar coins here:

https://www.zeno.ru/

WillieBoyd2

It looks like a dirham of Abd el-Malik dated AH 77 (AD 697).

(Added) The mint looks like Wasit, a common mint located near Basra, Iraq.

orgmr

Thanks Mason, I appreciate it.

orgmr

Thanks Willie.

If anyone can narrow it down even further that would be great!

WillieBoyd2

The coin is from the Umayyad dynasty (AD 661-750).
Most of the Kufic (an early form of Arabic) text on the coin are quotes from the Quran.

orgmr, May I ask how you obtained the coin?

Sapyx

WillieBoyd2's ID is accurate except for the date, and about as "narrowed down" as you can get.

Umayyad Caliphate, silver dirham (yes, it has been clipped, dirhams from this period are normally nice and round), struck in Wasit in the year 99, Islamic era (AD 717-718).

The rest of the inscriptions are a mini-sermon, proclaiming that Allah alone is God, and how Muhammad came to preach this truth to the unbelieving polytheists. The Caliph at the time was Abd al-Malik, though his name does not appear on the coin. The language on the coin is Arabic, written in the archaic Kufic script rather than the flowing Naskh script more familiar to us today.

The date on these coins is written, in full: literally, "in the year nine and ninety". In Kufic Arabic, the numbers "seven" and "nine" (and the words "seventy" and "ninety") look very similar, hence WillieBoyd2's confusion. I only looked twice because "Year 77" is too early for coins of this period, which were not commenced in Wasit until Year 84.

WillieBoyd2

I agree the date is AH 99.

Richard Plant's Arabic coins book mentions that Kufic 7's and 9's look alike.

Wouldn't the Caliph be Sulayman (AH 96-99) or Umar II (AH 99-101)?

Are we having fun?

MasonG

At this point, I'm just along for the ride out of curiosity.

orgmr

Thanks you guys are awesome!

I got this coin, and the others I have been posting lately asking for help with their identities, in a world coin auction large lot box containing almost 2000 coins. I have derived so much enjoyment from this one lot. After keeping the coins I want, then I'll sell any I don't want and duplicates. It probably will be a long time before I start to list them on my website, 3centnickel.com. I mostly buy and sell US coins and fractional currency, especially 3c.

This foray into world coins is new for me but I am learning so much.

WillieBoyd2

Oddly enough I have a coin from Sulayman dated AH 98 but minted in Istakhr (Persepolis).

Sapyx

@WillieBoyd2 said:
I agree the date is AH 99.

Richard Plant's Arabic coins book mentions that Kufic 7's and 9's look alike.

Wouldn't the Caliph be Sulayman (AH 96-99) or Umar II (AH 99-101)?

Ah yes, true. I typed that part, then noticed the date was wrong.

It also shows one of the difficulties in attributing these coins by Caliph, as the actual name of the Caliph isn't given on the coin, only the date. There's no way to tell for certain if this was a Sulayman or Umar coin, since they both reigned in AH 99. Balance of probabilities, most likely it's Umar, since Sulayaman only reigned for the first one and a half months of 99.

orgmr

Thanks guys, got it

WillieBoyd2

Recommend that the OP change the title.

Namvet69

This is why I love CU. The knowledge shared here is the best. Have a good day. Peace Roy

orgmr

Title changed as suggested

WillieBoyd2

Thank you.