Baldwin & Sons
Islamic Coin Auction 25 10 December 2013
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ISLAMIC COINS. SAFFARID. Ya'qub b. al-Layth, Silver Dirham, al-Basra 2(63?)h, without name of caliph, 3.00g. Edge weakness, very fine and unrecorded.
This coin was issued when Ya'qub, the Saffarid commander from Sistan, attacked the Abbasid Caliphate from his base in Khuzistan in 262 H/872 CE. He advanced into Iraq but was decisively defeated at Dayr al-'Aqul thirty miles south of Baghdad. He was able, however, to make his escape to return to Khuzistan. It is unclear when this previously unrecorded Dirham was issued. In spite of its shadowy, lightly-struck date it was probably struck before Ya'qub's advance northward into Iraq. On the coin he entitles himself Ya'qub bin al-Layth, a self-granted promotion from simply calling himself Ya'qub on his previous coinage. Not surprisingly he omitted the name of the Caliph al-Mu'tamid, whom he was keen to overthrow.
Estimate: £500-600
This coin was issued when Ya'qub, the Saffarid commander from Sistan, attacked the Abbasid Caliphate from his base in Khuzistan in 262 H/872 CE. He advanced into Iraq but was decisively defeated at Dayr al-'Aqul thirty miles south of Baghdad. He was able, however, to make his escape to return to Khuzistan. It is unclear when this previously unrecorded Dirham was issued. In spite of its shadowy, lightly-struck date it was probably struck before Ya'qub's advance northward into Iraq. On the coin he entitles himself Ya'qub bin al-Layth, a self-granted promotion from simply calling himself Ya'qub on his previous coinage. Not surprisingly he omitted the name of the Caliph al-Mu'tamid, whom he was keen to overthrow.
Estimate: £500-600