Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Islamic Auction 3 27 Apr 2023
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'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Muqtadir. AH 295-320 / AD 908-933. AV Dinar (22.3mm, 4.39 g, 10h). Ardabil mint. Dated AH 316 (AD 928/9). Obverse field: annulet and letter fa / la ilaha illa Allah / wahdahu la sharik lahu / Abu'l-'Abbas bin / amir al-mu'minin / letter ha; pellet to left and right / Reverse field: annulet below. Vardanyan 89 (citing a single example); Bernardi -. Edge split, minor deposit. VF. Excessively rare, apparently only the second published example.
This dinar dates from the brief period after the death of Yusuf b. Diwdad in AH 315 and the formal appointment of al-Fath b. al-Afshin, as governor of Armenia in the following year. It is possible that the letters f and h above and below the obverse field represent the first and last letters of al-Fath's name, although dinars of this mint and date which bear al-Fath b. al-Afshin's name in full are also known (Vardanyan 90; Bernardi 253Ka). Something similar may be seen on Ziyarid gold dinars issued at Mah al-Basra, where examples dated AH 322 bear the full name of Mardawij b. Ziyar, while coins dated AH 318 have the letters m-r only. Might these both be a case of a ruler using initials to indicate de facto control of a mint, while waiting until his authority had been formally confirmed before using his full name on the coinage?
This dinar dates from the brief period after the death of Yusuf b. Diwdad in AH 315 and the formal appointment of al-Fath b. al-Afshin, as governor of Armenia in the following year. It is possible that the letters f and h above and below the obverse field represent the first and last letters of al-Fath's name, although dinars of this mint and date which bear al-Fath b. al-Afshin's name in full are also known (Vardanyan 90; Bernardi 253Ka). Something similar may be seen on Ziyarid gold dinars issued at Mah al-Basra, where examples dated AH 322 bear the full name of Mardawij b. Ziyar, while coins dated AH 318 have the letters m-r only. Might these both be a case of a ruler using initials to indicate de facto control of a mint, while waiting until his authority had been formally confirmed before using his full name on the coinage?