Watch List notes:

ZANJ REBELLION: 'Ali b. Muhammad, 872-884, AR dirham (3.54g), 'Askar al-Imâm, AH258, A-1432, the mint of 'Askar al-Imâm was the military base of the Zanj rebellion, which started in AH258 / 872 and ended with the final Abbasid defeat of the rebels in 270 / 884; the coin cites only the Zanj rebellion leader 'Ali b. Muhammad al-Imâm, with no reference to the caliph, attractive F-VF, RRRR. The Zanj were a group of African Black slaves brought in to clear the salt deposits that were destroying the agricultural lands in southern Iraq. They were harshly treated, and finally rebelled against the Abbasid Caliphate in AH258, led by 'Ali b. Muhammad, whom they called their Imam as "al-Mahdi". They established their military base which they first called " 'askar al-imam", "the camp of the Imam", later replaced by the name al-Mukhtara, where coins were struck from about 259 until 266. The Abbasid forces were simultaneously involved in destroying several rebellions throughout their territories, but by AH268 were able to launch a decisive surge against the Zanj. They formed their own base, which they called Madinat al-Muwaffaqiya, and both gold and silver coins were struck there from 268 until 270. Both camps were abandoned after the Abbasid annihilated the Zanj rebellion early in the following year 271. The term Zanj survives in the name of an island now part of Tanzania, known as Zanzibar.

Estimate: 4,500-5,500 USD