al-Andalus (Spain). Umayyads. Hisham II ibn al-Hakam, first reign, AH 366-399 / AD 976-1009. Dirham (Silver, 24 mm, 2.67 g, 11 h), citing only ʿĀmir (Almanzor), Andalus, AH 381 = AD 991/2. Central field, in three lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dirham bi-al-Andalus sana iḥdā wa thamānīn wa thalātha miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dirham was struck in al-Andalus in the year three hundred and eighty-one’ in Arabic) Above, three pellets arranged in triangular form. Rev. Central field, in four lines: al-imām Hishām / amīr al-muʾminīn / al-Muʾayyad bi-llāh / ʿĀmir (‘The Imam Hishām / Commander of the Believers / al-Muʾayyad bi-llāh / ʿĀmir’ in Arabic). Margin (Qurʾān 9:33): Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi wa-law kariha al-mushrikūn (‘Muḥammad is the Messenger of God, whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists may dislike it’ in Arabic) Above, small circle surrounded by four pellets. Album 354.1. Cf. Vives 514 (different ornamentation). A very rare variety. Some areas of weakness, minor marks and flan faults on the edge, otherwise, about extremely fine.


The silver dirhams of the late Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba occur in a remarkably wide range of varieties, differing in ornamentation, arrangement of legends, and the officials cited within the inscriptions.

Particularly interesting are the decorative symbols above the inscriptions. Such ornaments vary considerably between dies and issues, forming an important area of study within Andalusi numismatics. The triangular pellet arrangement on the obverse and the circular ornament surrounded by four pellets on the reverse belong to rarer decorative combinations not commonly encountered on the standard issues of this series.