Fatimids. al-'Aziz billah, AH 365-386 / AD 975-996. Dinar (Gold, 22 mm, 4.14 g), type A1, with Ismāʿīlī shahāda., Filastin, AH 369 = AD 979/80. Central design within concentric circles: lā ilāha illā Allāh Muḥammad rasūl Allāh ʿAlī khayr ṣafwat Allāh (‘There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God; ʿAli is the best of the chosen of God’ in Arabic). Outer inscription: 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 at center. Rev. Central design within concentric circles: ʿabd Allāh wa-walīyuhu Nizār al-imām al-ʿAzīz bi-llāh amīr al-muʾminīn (‘The servant of God and His friend, Nizār, the Imam al-ʿAzīz bi-llāh, Commander of the Believers’ in Arabic). Outer inscription: bism Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār bi-Filasṭīn sana tisʿ wa-sittīn wa-thalātha miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in Filasṭīn in the year three hundred and sixty-nine’ in Arabic) Pellet at center. Album 703. Jeselsohn 544. Nicol 672. Very rare. Small dents and marks and some areas of weakness, otherwise, nearly very fine.


Dinars of Nizār al-ʿAzīz bi-llāh from Filasṭīn are known for a limited number of dates; the combination of this mint with the early date AH 369 is particularly rare. On coins of this year, the inner circular element of the reverse legend is formed as a rounded fāʾ, apparently functioning as a mint marker for Filasṭīn.