ISLAMIC, 'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Mu'tadid, AH 279-289 / AD 892-902. Dirham (Silver, 25 mm, 2.99 g, 8 h), citing the caliph al-Mu'tamid billah, Amid, AH 286 = AD 899. Album 242M. SICA IV, -. Of the highest rarity. Light areas of weakness, otherwise, extremely fine.


This important issue was struck by al-Mu'tadid in commemoration of the capture of Amid in AH 286 from the Shaybani tribe. After a previous long conflict with their ruler Ahmad ibn Isa al-Shaybani, al-Mu'tadid eventually decided to end the instability in the Diyar Bakr region by taking the city by force. The type differs from the regular dirhams of Al-Mu'tadid by having a single legend in the outer margin of the reverse as opposed to two.