al-Maghreb (North Africa). Almoravids (al-Murabitun). 'Ali ibn Yusuf, AH 500-537 / AD 1107-1142. Qirat (Silver, 12 mm, 0.81 g, 8 h), variety without mint, date and heir. Central field, in four lines, within a circle, pellet above: lā ilāha illā / Allāh / Muḥammad rasūl / Allāh (‘There is no god but God / Muhammad is the Messenger of God’ in Arabic). Rev. Central field, in three lines, within a circle, floral ornament above; dāl below, between two groups of pellets: amīr al-muslimīn / wa-nāṣir al-dīn / ʿAlī b. Yūsuf (‘Commander of the Muslims / and Defender of the Faith / ʿAlī b. Yūsuf’ in Arabic). Album 467.3. Benito Cc9. Hazard 928. Vives 1708. Nicely toned. Some scratches and marks, otherwise, very fine.


Almoravid rulers typically used the subordinate title amīr al-muslimīn ('commander of the Muslims') rather than amīr al-muʾminīn ('commander of the believers'), which helps distinguish them from dynasties that adopted caliphal titulature. The Almoravid qirāts and their fractions are a highly variegated series: even within a single catalog number, dies show many calligraphic, spelling, and layout variants, making them an active area for variety-collecting and die-study.