ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, rival caliph, AH 60-73 / AD 680-692. Dirham (Silver, 30 mm, 3.92 g, 4 h), Arab-Sasanian type, citing the rival caliph 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr as Amir, DA + P (Fasa), PYE 59 = AH 71 = 690/1. Draped bust resembling Khosrau II to right, wearing elaborate mural crown; behind head, AFZUT GDH ('may his kingship increase' in Pahlawi); before head, APDWLA AMYR-Y WRWYŠNYKAN ('Abd Allah, Commander of the Faithful' in Pahlawi); in outer margin, 'bism Allah' ('In the name of Allah') and three pellets to left and right of one star-in-crescent. Rev. Fire altar with ribbons flanked by two attendants; in upper left field, six-pointed star; in upper right field, crescent; to left, date; to right, DA + P (name of the mint in Pahlawi). Album 16. SICA I, -. Walker, Arab-Sasanian, -. About extremely fine.

This type cites 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr as Amir ('Commander' in Kufic), which underlines his claim to the caliphate, as he did not recognize the legitimacy of Mu'awiyas' son Yazid. However, al-Zubayr was captured and killed in AH 73 by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the governor of Kufa and Basra, which ended a civil war that had lasted seventeen years