Watch List notes:

GOVERNORS OF OMAN, NAFI' B. 'ABDALLAH (354-355h). Dinar, 'Uman 354h. Obverse: In field: la ilaha illa | Allah wahdahu | la sharik lahu | Nafi' bin 'Abdallah. Reverse: In field: lillah | Muhammad | rasul | Allah | al-Muti' lillah | letter ra. Weight: 4.40g. Small patch of staining in margin at 1-2 o'clock on both sides, obverse with some double striking, otherwise almost extremely fine with some lustre on reverse, historically important and of the highest rarity, apparently unpublished. This previously unpublished coin sheds new light on a turbulent period in the history of 'Uman, and also confirms the full name of one of its rulers. Mentioned only as Nafi' in the written sources, this coin confirms his patronymic and identifies him as Nafi' b. 'Abdallah, a black slave who had been freed by Yusuf b. Wajih and who had come to power in 'Uman during the early 350s. It is not clear when he came to prominence there; coin evidence shows that 'Uman was still controlled by the Wajihid governor 'Umar b. Yusuf in 350h. Miskawayh reports that Mu'izz al-dawla, the Buwayhid ruler, dispatched a force to capture 'Uman in the year 352h; this mission was abandoned and returned to Baghdad after its commander-in-chief fell ill en route. Thus we know that 'Uman did not acknowledge Buwayhid authority at this time, although Miskawayh unfortunately does not tell us against whom the expedition was sent. However, Nafi' features prominently in Miskawayh's account of events in 'Uman during the year 354h, when this coin was struck. The historian relates that 'Mu'izz al-dawla had despatched Kardak the Registrar to 'Uman, where he was admitted to the ruler Nafi' who agreed to enter the allegiance of Mu'izz al-dawla, letting his name be mentioned in the khutba and inscribed on dirhams and dinars. Nafi' agreed to all of this and carried out the latter undertaking. But after the departure of Kardak, when the local people learned what Nafi' had done, they rose against him, drove him out of the place, and let in the followers of the Qarmatids of Hajjar, to whom they surrendered their town. The Qarmatids stayed within the city during the day, and at the end of the day retired to their camp. They wrote to their chiefs in Hajjar to tell them the news and receive instructions as to what they should do.' (Miskawayh 212-213, adapted from Margoliouth's translation). This passage states explicitly that Nafi' undertook to strike coins acknowledging the Buwayhid ruler Mu'izz al-dawla. Assuming Miskawayh is correct on this point, the present dinar, which names only Nafi' and the Abbasid caliph al-Muti', was presumably struck before Kardak arrived in 'Uman. The Qarmatids initially appointed an army officer named Ibn Tughan to succeed Nafi' in 'Uman, but he was murdered after a short and violent period of rule. His successor, a relative of the local qadi named 'Abd al-Wahhab, assumed power with considerable reluctance and was swiftly usurped by his minister, 'Ali b. Ahmad. His rule seems to have been more long-lasting and stable than his two predecessors, and coins dated 355h are known from 'Uman which name 'Ali b. Ahmad alongside the Qarmatid 'Council of Six.' However, Mu'izz al-dawla was not minded to abandon 'Uman, and Miskawayh's account of the year 355h describes its recapture: 'In this year Mu'izz al-dawla made an expedition to Wasit...and despatched an army to 'Uman. Nafi', the freedman of Yusuf b. Wajih, arrived seeking his protection, and was received. After considering what was required in respect of Oman...he began preparing to send a force to 'Uman, having previously built shadha'ahs and other craft. He ordered the men of Daylam to go to 'Uman, and all agreed to do so except a party of fewer than twenty men who declined, and whom he accordingly ordered to be discharged. The Daylamites and Turks now obeyed his wishes, and he invited Abu'l-Faraj Muhammed b. 'Abbas to go with the army to 'Uman in the capacity of commander-in-chief, and to be governor of the country if he conquered it. The expedition set out on Thursday in the middle of Shawwal, with a hundred boats and shadha 'as, accompanied by Abu 'Abdallah Jabb and Nafi'. On reaching Siraf they were joined by the force of 'Adud al-dawla in vessels of the same type, which he had prepared to assist his uncle. When Abu'l-Faraj arrived in 'Uman with his army, he invaded the country and got possession of it, slew vast numbers of the inhabitants, and burned their feet of seventy-nine sail.' (Miskawayh 216-217, abridged and adapted from Margoliouth's translation). It is interesting that Nafi' should have accompanied Abu'l-Faraj on this expedition without Mu'izz al-dawla seemingly having any intention of reinstating him as governor. Abu'l-Faraj remained in 'Uman until the year 356h, when he returned to Iraq following Mu'izz al-dawla's death, and on his departure Miskawayh tells us that he handed over the governorship to an Omani named Ibn Nabhan. The complex history of 'Uman after Ibn Nabhan's appointment is described in more detail in the footnote to the following lot, but Nafi' himself seems to have played no further part in it, and his fate is not known.
(30000-50000' GBP)