'Abbasid Caliphate. Al-Wathiq, AH 227-232 / AD 842-847. Dinar (Gold, 21 mm, 4.18 g, 12 h), Marw, AH 227 = AD 841/2. 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: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dīnār bi-Marw sanat sabʿ wa-ʿishrīn wa-miʾatayn (‘In the name of God, this dinar was struck in Marw in the year two hundred and twenty-seven’ in Arabic). Outer margin (Qurʾān 30:4-5): 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). Rev. Central field, in five lines: li-llāh / Muḥammad / rasūl / Allāh / al-Wāthiq bi-llāh (‘For God / Muḥammad / Messenger / of God / al-Wāthiq bi-llāh’ in Arabic). Margin (Qurʾān 9:33): Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi wa-law kariha al-mushrikūn (‘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, even though the polytheists may dislike it’ in Arabic). Album 227. Bernardi 152Ph. A very rare mint. Bumps and scratches, otherwise, about very fine.



Gold dinars of al-Wāthiq struck at Marw are very rare Abbasid issues. Marw was one of the principal administrative centers of Khurāsān, a region that remained economically and politically important to the Abbasid caliphate throughout the 9th century.

Although most Abbasid gold coinage was produced at the major imperial mints of Iraq and Egypt, occasional issues were struck at eastern mints such as Marw. Only a very small number of dinars of al-Wāthiq from this mint are known, making the present coin an important example of Abbasid gold coinage from the eastern provinces.