ISLAMIC, Persia (Pre-Seljuq). Samanids. 'Abd al-Malik I ibn Nuh, AH 343-350 / AD 954-961. Dinar (Gold, 23 mm, 3.58 g, 3 h), Nishapur, AH 349 = 960/1. ‘lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū’ (‘There is no deity but Allah, the One, there is no partner to Him’ in Arabic); inner margin, ‘bism Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār bi Naysābūr sana tisʿ wa arbaʿīn wa thalātha miʾa’ (‘In the name of Allah. This dinar was struck in Nishapur in the year 349’ in Arabic); outer margin, ‘li-llāh al-amr min qabl wa min baʿd wa yawmaʾidhin yafraḥu al-muʾmi[nūn bi naṣr Allā]h’ (‘To Allah belongs the command before and after, and on that day the believers will rejoice with the help of Allah’ in Arabic; Qurʾān 30: 4-5). Rev. Citing the ʿAbbasid caliph al-Mutiʿ lillah (AH 334-363 / AD 946-974), ‘li-llāh / Muḥammad / rasūl Allāh / al-Muṭīʿ lillāh / ʿAbd al-Malik ibn / Nūḥ’ (‘To Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. al-Mutiʿ lillah. ʿAbd al-Malik son of Nuh’ in Arabic); in the margin, ‘Muḥammad rasūl Allāh ar[salahū bi al-hudā wa dī]n al-ḥaqq liyuẓhirahū ʿalā al-dīn kullih wa law kariha al-mushrikūn’ (‘Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may make it overcome all religions, even though the unbelievers may dislike it’ in Arabic). Album 1460. Part of the flan cut off and with some scratches, otherwise, very fine.