Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Islamic Auction 1 25 May 2022
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Ikhshidids. Abu'l-Qasim Unujur. AH 334-349 / AD 946-960. AV Donative Dinar (26.1mm, 4.24g, 8h). Misr mint. Dated AH 346 / AD 957/8. With letter kaf for Kafur below the fifth line of obverse field. Cf Bacharach 64, for a standard dinar of this mint and date. Near EF. Excessively rare.
Ex Morton & Eden Auction 54 (23 April 2012), lot 114. The year AH 346 appears to be a particularly rare date for Ikhshidid coinage from Egypt, with only a single specimen recorded by Bacharach (unfortunately the diameter of this piece is not noted).
The letter kaf below the reverse is generally accepted as an abbreviation for the name of Kafur, an Abyssinian eunuch who had been bought as a slave by Muhammad al-Ikhshid 'from the sellers of oil for eighteen dinars.' While it is possible that Kafur himself may already have held de facto power in Egypt and Palestine for a decade before this coin was struck, Bacharach argues that it was only in AH 346 that Kafur felt able to allude to his power by placing the first letter of his name on the coinage. This beautiful coin, which was carefully struck on a specially-prepared, broad flan, may have been specially struck to promote Kafur's new status.
Ex Morton & Eden Auction 54 (23 April 2012), lot 114. The year AH 346 appears to be a particularly rare date for Ikhshidid coinage from Egypt, with only a single specimen recorded by Bacharach (unfortunately the diameter of this piece is not noted).
The letter kaf below the reverse is generally accepted as an abbreviation for the name of Kafur, an Abyssinian eunuch who had been bought as a slave by Muhammad al-Ikhshid 'from the sellers of oil for eighteen dinars.' While it is possible that Kafur himself may already have held de facto power in Egypt and Palestine for a decade before this coin was struck, Bacharach argues that it was only in AH 346 that Kafur felt able to allude to his power by placing the first letter of his name on the coinage. This beautiful coin, which was carefully struck on a specially-prepared, broad flan, may have been specially struck to promote Kafur's new status.