'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Muktafi, AH 289-295 / AD 902-908. Dinar (Gold, 25 mm, 4.41 g, 10 h), citing the Abbasid caliph al-Muktafī bi-llāh, Misr, AH 292 = AD 904/5. Central field, in three lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahu / lā sharīka lahu (‘There is no god but God alone, He has no associate’ in Arabic). Inner margin: bism Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār bi-Miṣr sanat ithnatayn wa-tisʿīn wa-miʾatayn (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in Miṣr in the year two hundred and ninety-two’ in Arabic). Outer margin: li-llāh al-amr min qablu wa-min baʿd wa-yawmaʾidhin yafraḥ al-muʾminūn bi-naṣr Allāh (‘To God belongs the command before and after, and on that day the believers will rejoice in the help of God’ in Arabic). Large pellet at bottom. Rev. Central field, in five lines: li-llāh / Muḥammad / rasūl / Allāh / al-Muktafī bi-llāh (‘For God / Muhammad is the Messenger of God / al-Muktafi bi-llah’ in Arabic). Margin: Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi wa-law kariha al-mushrikūn (‘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). Pellet in centre. Album 243.1. Bernardi 226De. Wilkes 425. Rare. An exceptionally well centred and lustrous specimen. A tiny die break on the obverse, otherwise, virtually as struck.


This piece was struck in the year in which Tulunid control of Egypt collapsed and Abbasid authority was re-established in Miṣr (Egypt).