'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. Al-Rashid, AH 170-193 / AD 786-809. Dinar (Gold, 19 mm, 4.17 g, 1 h), Citing ʿAlī [ibn Sulaymān], no mint (Misr), AH 170 = AD 786/7. Central field, in three lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Margin (Qurʾān 9:33): Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi (‘Muḥammad is the Messenger of God, whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth that He may cause it to prevail over all religion’ in Arabic). Rev. Central field, in four lines: Muḥammad / rasūl / Allāh / ʿAlī (‘Muḥammad / Messenger / of God / ʿAlī’ in Arabic). Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār sanat sabʿīn wa miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in the year one hundred and seventy’ in Arabic). Album 218.6. Bernardi 63. Rare. Lightly clipped and minor marks, otherwise, good very fine.


This rare anonymous Abbasid dinar cites ʿAlī ibn Sulaymān, governor of Miṣr under the caliph al-Rashīd. During the later 2nd century AH, Egyptian gold issues frequently incorporated the names of provincial governors, reflecting the administrative importance of Miṣr within the Abbasid monetary system and the close supervision exercised over its gold coinage.