Anatolia & al-Jazira (Post-Seljuk). Artuqids (Kayfa & Amid). Fakhr al-Din Qara Arslan, AH 543-570 / AD 1148-1174. Dirham (Bronze, 30 mm, 11.00 g, 6 h), bare-headed draped bust left; citing the ʿAbbāsid caliph al-Mustanjid bi-llāh, uncertain mint, presumably Ḥiṣn Kayfā or Āmid, AH 560 = AD 1164/5. Bare-headed and draped bust left with long hair; around: al-Mustanjiḍ bi-llāh / lā ilāha illā Allāh / Muḥammad rasūl Allāh (‘al-Mustanjiḍ bi-llāh; there is no deity but God; Muḥammad is the Messenger of God’ in Arabic). Rev. In four lines: malik al-umarāʾ / Qara Arsalān bin / Dāʾūd bin Sukmān / bin Artuq (‘King of the commanders, Qara Arsalān son of Dāʾūd son of Sukmān son of Artuq’ in Arabic). Margin: sanat sittīn / wa-khams miʾa (‘Year five hundred and sixty’ in Arabic). Album 1820.6. Spengler & Sayles 6. Whelan Type III. A beautifully struck example with clear portrait details and attractive dark patina. Minor corrosion, otherwise, about extremely fine.


The bronze dirhams of Fakhr al-Dīn Qara Arslān belong to a remarkable series of Artuqid coinages that combine Islamic inscriptions with portrait imagery derived from earlier Byzantine and local artistic traditions. These issues frequently display highly individualized busts, reflecting the distinctive regional engraving style of northern Mesopotamian mints during the 12th century.

The inscriptions also emphasize political legitimacy. The obverse names the ʿAbbāsid caliph al-Mustanjid bi-llāh, acknowledging the formal religious authority of the caliphate, while the reverse presents the ruler’s full genealogy: Qara Arslān ibn Dāʾūd ibn Sukmān ibn Artuq. By tracing his lineage back to the dynasty’s founder Artuq, the inscription reinforces the continuity and prestige of the Artuqid ruling house.

The present specimen is a particularly attractive example of the type, with well-preserved facial features and sharply defined details of the eyes and hair. Coins retaining such clear portrait elements are especially desirable, as many surviving examples of this series are weakly struck or heavily worn.