'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. Al-Mahdi, AH 158-169 / AD 775-785. Dinar (Gold, 19 mm, 4.17 g, 2 h), no mint, AH 168 = AD 784/5. 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: Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahū bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā al-dīn kullihī (‘Muhammad is the Messenger of God, whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religion’ in Arabic). Rev. Central field, in three lines: Muḥammad / rasūl / Allāh (‘Muhammad is the Messenger of God’ in Arabic). Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār sanat thamān wa-sittīn wa-miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in the year one hundred and sixty-eight’ in Arabic). Album 214. With a curious obverse engraving. Tiny scratches, light doubling and small grafitti on the reverse, otherwise, about extremely fine.



The obverse engraving is especially interesting. In the marginal phrase wa-dīn al-ḥaqq, the final letter qāf of al-ḥaqq is unusually elongated, extending so far inward that it almost appears as an additional letter within the central field. This is a striking calligraphic feature of the die and gives the coin added visual interest.