ISLAMIC, 'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tazz, AH 251-255 / AD 866-869. Dirham (Silver, 19 mm, 2.53 g, 9 h), Surra man Raʾa, AH 251 = 865/6. ‘lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū’ (‘There is no deity but Allah, the One, there is no partner to Him’ in Arabic); in the margin, ‘bism Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dirham bi Surra man Raʾā sana iḥdā wa khamsīn wa miʾatayn’ (‘In the name of Allah. This dirham was struck in Surra man Raʾa in the year 251’ in Arabic); in the outer margin, ‘li-llāh al-amr min qabl wa min baʿd wa yawmaʾidhin yafraḥu al-muʾminūn bi naṣr Allāh’ (‘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. ‘li-llāh / Muḥammad / rasūl / Allāh / al-Muʿtazz billāh / amīr al-muʾminīn’ (‘To Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. al-Muʿtazz billah, Commander of the Believers’ in Arabic); in the margin, ‘Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahū bi al-hudā wa dīn 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 236.1. Areas of weakness and with some black deposits, otherwise, very fine.