Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Islamic Auction 3 27 Apr 2023
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'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tamid. AH 256-279 / AD 870-892. AV Dinar (18.3mm, 4.22 g, 11h). Without mint-name. Dated AH 275 (AD 888/9). Obverse: citing al-Muwaffaq billah in fourth line of field. Bernardi 177 = Cairo 1322. Minor weakness in margins, some deposit. Good VF. Excessively rare, only a single specimen recorded by Bernardi.
For reasons which remain unclear, al-Mu'tamid issued mintless dinars in the years AH 273-275. All three dates are extremely rare. The only other mintless dinars then being issued were struck by the Amirs of Crete, for whom dinars are known dated AH 270-273 and 275. This gives a convenient window between AH 273-275 when these mintless dinars might have been struck. Although these coins all name al-Muwaffaq, the caliph's brother, who is normally only cited on issues from the Eastern half of the 'Abbasid lands, we know that al-Muwaffaq was in fact in the West at this time, campaigning unsuccessfully against the Tulunids in Egypt in AH 273.
For reasons which remain unclear, al-Mu'tamid issued mintless dinars in the years AH 273-275. All three dates are extremely rare. The only other mintless dinars then being issued were struck by the Amirs of Crete, for whom dinars are known dated AH 270-273 and 275. This gives a convenient window between AH 273-275 when these mintless dinars might have been struck. Although these coins all name al-Muwaffaq, the caliph's brother, who is normally only cited on issues from the Eastern half of the 'Abbasid lands, we know that al-Muwaffaq was in fact in the West at this time, campaigning unsuccessfully against the Tulunids in Egypt in AH 273.