Persia (Pre-Seljuq). Kakwayhids. Faramurz, AH 433-443 / AD 1041-1051. Dinar (Gold, 25 mm, 4.00 g, 1 h), citing the ʿAbbāsid caliph al-Qāʾim bi-amr Allāh and the Būyid overlord Abū Kālījār, Isbahan (Isfahan), AH 434 (?) = AD 1042/3. Central field, in five lines: ʿadl / lā ilāha illā Allāh / shāhānshāh / al-muʿaẓẓam / Abū Kālījār (‘Justice / There is no deity but God / King of Kings / the exalted / Abū Kālījār’ in Arabic and Persian). Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār bi-Iṣbahān sanat arbaʿ wa-thalāthīn wa-arbaʿ-miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in Iṣbahān in the year four hundred and thirty-four’ in Arabic). Rev. Central field, in six lines: li-llāh / Muḥammad rasūl Allāh / al-Qāʾim bi-amr Allāh / shams al-mulūk / Abū Manṣūr / Farāmarz (‘For God / Muḥammad is the Messenger of God / al-Qāʾim bi-amr Allāh / Sun of Kings / Abū Manṣūr / Farāmarz’ in Arabic and Persian). Margin: 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). Album 1592.1. An extremely rare type with clear names and titles. Struck from somewhat worn dies, otherwise, extremely fine.



The Kakwayhids were a Daylamite dynasty ruling in central and western Iran during the 5th century AH, especially around Iṣbahān, Hamadān, and Yazd. Farāmarz ibn ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla ruled during a period of shifting power between the declining Būyids and the rising Seljuqs, and his coinage reflects this unstable political landscape.

This issue is especially important because it cites the Būyid ruler Abū Kālījār as overlord, rather than the Seljuq Ṭughril Beg who appears on some later or related issues. This Abū Kālījār type as much rarer than the AH 435 dinar citing Ṭughril Beg, which makes the present coin a significant witness to the final phase of Būyid authority in central Iran.