Watch List notes:

ABBASID: Zubayda, wife of al-Rashid, fl. 797-812, AR dirham (2.95g), al-Hadâ'iq dhât Bahjat ("the glorious gardens"), AH185, A-219J, an unusual donative dirham, citing only Zubayda as umm wali 'ahd al-muslimin ("mother of the heir to the Muslims") followed by a reference to Yâsir (unknown?), unique, VF to EF, RRRR, ex Spink, Auction 5003, Lot 337. The obverse and reverse fields contain Qur'an 15:46-48, divided at the middle of 15:47, which refers to two brothers facing each other on thrones, positing peace and alliance between her own son, al-Amin, and his half brother, al-Ma'mun. The "mint" location is unknown, but Cécile Bresc suggested either somewhere in the Caucasus or along the highway between al-Kufa and al-Basra.The obverse central field reads: "udkhuluha bi-salam / 'aminin wa-naza'na ma fi / sudurihim min ghillin" (Qur'an XV: 46-47) ("Enter ye here, in peace and security, and we shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury"), mint/date formula in margin.The reverse central field reads: ikhwanan 'ala surur mutaqabilin / la yamassuhum fiha nasab wa-ma hum minha bi-mukhrajina (Qur'an XV: 47-48) ("[They will be] like brothers facing each other on thrones, no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they [ever] be asked to leave"), and in the margin: "mimma amarat bihi umm wali 'ahd al-Muslimin 'ala yaday Yasir baraka min Allah" ("Among the things ordered by the Mother of the Heir to the Caliphate at the hands of Yasir, blessing come from God")The following historic analysis was provided to Spink by Cécile Bresc:The legends engraved on the dirham presented here immediately strike the imagination; minted in an enigmatic place, this coin bears the laqab "Mother of the Heir to the Caliphate" and it offers a remarkable and unique quotation of the Qur'an that does not occur on any other 'Abbasid coins. Dated 185 AH/ 801, in the reign of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, it is possible to identify the woman with this laqab as his famous wife Zubayda. Of good weight, this dirham poses interesting questions to the numismatist about its real nature.Several simple observations can be made on the form and content of our dirham:- Its weight of 2.94 gr is in conformity with the contemporary numismatic standards, as is its diameter;- The script engraved is a simple and regular square Kufic, similar to the ones employed on coins of that period. However, it was possible to establish the decipherment of the unusual place of minting only by comparing the letters composing it and the ones used in the Qur'anic quotation;- According to the Corpus of Lowick, the pattern of the annulets engraved on the obverse were very rare during the time of al-Rashid, and it is identical to the pattern occurring on a few dirhams struck at al-Muhammadiyya in the same year (Lowick, Corpus, 1835-1836);- On the central fields of both sides, the usual Shahada, profession of faith occurring on every 'Abbasid coin, is substituted by an original Qur'anic quotation from the so-called Sura al-Hijr. The citation corresponds to the verses 46 to 48, which are employed here as a continuous text, running from the obverse onto the reverse.Granddaughter of al-Mansur, and wife of Harun al-Rashid, Zubayda was the mother of the unfortunate al-Amin, second son of Harun al-Rashid, but his first heir in the line of succession. In 185 AH, she is the only princess who may be called "Mother of the Heir to the Caliphate" as al-Ma'mun's mother died in childbirth. Furthermore, Zubayda is most likely the unique 'Abbasid princess known to have had coins struck in her own name. Samir Shamma attributed twenty-three coins, issued over 13 years, to her. He dedicated a study to the coins bearing her name in Yarmuk Numismatics (vol. 3, 1991), and he remarked that her coinage is continuous from 184 to 195 AH/ 800-810, except for the year 185 AH. Therefore, the present dirham completes the sequence of her issues.Unfortunately, I have not been able to identify precisely the place of minting, even though two areas are possible: firstly the Caucasus, where Zubayda owned several iqta', and secondly the darb Zubayda, the pilgrim highway from Iraq to Hedjaz to which she dedicated much work.A special place should be devoted to this dirham in the coinage of Zubayda, as it appears to be completely different from the other published coins. Besides the Qur'anic citation, it is the only coin designating her as "Mother of the Heir to the Caliphate" and not simply Umm Ja'far, her usual laqab on her coins struck during the reign of her husband. Moreover, the name Yassir cited on the margin of the reverse appears also on the earliest coin attributed to her by Shamma, struck in 184 AH/ 800 at an unidentified mint place called al-Kamiliyya. On it Zubayda was clearly identified as "Umm Ja'far bint Abu l-Fadl". On both dirhams, her laqab is introduced by the formula of authority "among the things ordered by", usually reserved for the local or provincial wali or for the Heir to the Caliphate. It is interesting to note the uncommon feminine conjugation of the verb 'amara "to order."The 185 AH dirham of Zubayda was probably a special issue, and it seems to be linked with the 184 AH dirham of Kamiliyya. It is hazardous to argue that they were donative coins, but were they intended to be currency? Their unusual legends and their exceptional rarity prevent them from being assimilated among the "normal" circulating dirhams. In his article, Shamma assumed that the aim of the 184 AH coin was, with the agreement of Harun al-Rashid, to frighten the princes plotting the division between his two heirs, al-'Amin and al-Ma'mun. As evidence he cited the marginal legend of the obverse, stating that "for God, He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye him, this is a straight way" (Qur'an XLIII, 64, Sura Zukhruf). On the other hand, the text of the Sura al-Hijr speaks of a peaceful and safe refuge, where true brotherhood will be realised with dignity and free from invidious partisan spirit.By calling herself "Mother of the Heir to the Caliphate," Zubayda enforces her authority and identifies herself decidedly as an unchallengable political figure, as al-'Amin had been nominated heir since 175 AH/ 792. While he was on pilgrimage at Mecca in 186 AH/ 802, Harun al-Rashid confirmed al-'Amin as Wali 'Ahd al-Muslimin and al-Ma'mun as the second heir. It is tempting to imagine that the description of brothers seated face to face on throne coincides with al-'Amin and al-Ma'mun in their majority. Struck the year before the Mecca Protocol, the dirham of 185 AH may be addressed to the two heirs and their respective supporters, calling on them for the unity of the Caliphate.

Estimate: 3,000-4,000 USD