ISLAMIC, al-Andalus (Spain). Dhu'l-Nunids. al-Qadir Yahya II (?), first reign, AH 467-472 / AD 1075-1080. 1/4 Dinar (Gold, 13 mm, 1.10 g), citing 'al-Qadir billah', uncertain mint, possibly Toledo. Ibrahim -. Miles -. Vives -. Apparently unpublished and of great interest. Traces of mounting, otherwise, good very fine.


This is quite an enigmatic coin: the name 'Al-Qadir Billah' may refer to Yahya al-Qadir, the grandson of the famous caliph al-Ma'mun, who was assassinated in Valencia in 1092 shortly before the city was taken over by the famous El Cid. Unfortunately, such an attribution - tempting as it may seem - must remain tentative for the time being. We kindly thank F. Alsaadi for his valuable contributions to the discussion of this issue.