ISLAMIC, Ayyubids. Egypt. al-Nasir I Salah al-Din Yusuf (Saladin), AH 564-589 / AD 1169-1193. Dirham (Bronze, 28 mm, 12.15 g), Mayyafariqin, AH 582-589 = AD1186/7-1193. Lion seated left surrounded by four stars within beaded circle; around circle, name and title of al-Nasir I Salah al-Din Yusuf. Rev. Name and titles of the Abbasid caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah. Balog, Ayyubids, 177. Repatinated, otherwise, very fine.


Al-Nasir I Salah al-Din Yusuf, better known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, which ruled over Egypt and Syria for almost a century. The obverse of this issue likely shows Leo, one of the constellations of the Zodiac.