'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. Al-Ma'mun, AH 199-218 / AD 813-833. Fals (Bronze, 14 mm, 1.76 g, 5 h), citing ʿĪsā b. Manṣūr and Abū Isḥāq b. al-Rashīd, governor AH 215-217 / AD 830-832, no mint (Egypt), no date. In three lines: ʿalā yaday / ʿĪsā bin / Manṣūr (‘Under the authority of / ʿĪsā ibn / Manṣūr’ in Arabic). Rev. In two lines: Abī Isḥāq / bin al-Rashīd (‘Abū Isḥāq / son of al-Rashīd’ in Arabic). Margin: bi-sm Allāh … (‘In the name of God …’ in Arabic; remainder off flan). Album 281. Very rare. The usual areas of weakness and some deposits, otherwise, nearly very fine.



The reverse names Abū Isḥāq ibn al-Rashīd, son of the famous caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and the future caliph al-Muʿtaṣim bi-llāh (AH 218-227 / AD 833-842). At the time of this issue, Abū Isḥāq was already one of the most influential military and political figures in the Abbasid state, though he had not yet become caliph. His appearance on Egyptian bronze coinage reflects his growing authority during the later reign of al-Maʾmūn.