'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tamid, AH 256-279 / AD 870-892. Dinar (Gold, 22 mm, 4.08 g, 5 h), citing the heir al-Muwaffaq, Madinat al-Salam, AH 262 = AD 875/6. Central field, in four lines: la ilaha illa / Allah wahdahu / la sharika lahu / al-Muwaffaq bi-llah (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate / al-Muwaffaq bi-llah’ in Arabic). Inner margin: bi-sm Allah duriba hadha al-dinar bi-Madinat al-Salam sanat ithnatayn wa-sittin wa-miʾatayn (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck at Madinat al-Salam in the year two hundred and sixty-two’ in Arabic). Outer margin (Qurʾan 30:4-5): li-llah al-amr min qabl wa-min baʿd wa-yawmaʾidhin yafrahu al-muʾminun bi-nasr Allah (‘To God belongs the command before and after, and on that day the believers will rejoice in God’s help’ in Arabic). Rev. Central field, in five lines: li-llah / Muhammad / rasul / Allah / al-Muʿtamid ʿala Allah (‘For God / Muhammad / is the Messenger / of God / al-Muʿtamid ʿala Allah’ in Arabic). Margin (Qurʾan 9:33): Muhammad rasul Allah arsalahu bi-l-huda wa-din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ʿala al-din kullihi wa-law kariha al-mushrikun (‘Muhammad 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 239.5. Bernardi 177Jh. Rare and well centered. Light scratches, otherwise, very fine.



Al-Muwaffaq, named in the obverse field, was the brother of al-Muʿtamid and the effective military and political power behind the caliphate for much of the reign. His appearance on the coinage as heir reflects the practical redistribution of Abbasid authority in the later 3rd century AH.