752 Islamic Coin Al-Basra Iraq Abbasid Silver Dirham Al-Saffah 135 AH Good Fine
Description: Silver Dirham from Al-Saffah the first Abbasid Caliph, who ruled the Muslim empire in the period 132-136 AH (749 - 754 AD). Al-Saffah is the first caliph of the Abbasid dynasty. His full name being Abu Al-Abbas Abdul Allah al-Saffah. This is a dirham, weighs ~2.8 grams and is ~24.5 mm in diameter. The coin shows the date of minting as 135 AH and the mint as al-Basra in current day Iraq. The obverse of the coin has the words "Muhammad Rasul Allah" in the center with the verse "Muhammad Rasul Allah, arsaluh bil huda wa din al haq liazharuh 'al al din kulh walaw karah al mushrikon" along the edge. The reverse shows the name of the mint and the date in a circle along the edge. It also has the words "La Illaha ella Allah, Wahduh la Sharik Lah" in the center. Please note the coin is much better than the scan with worn out legend but still defined and legible calligraphy. The planchet of the coin is a bit bent as opposed to being completely flat. Be that as it may, this is still a nice coin and rather scarce. Please carefully review the images presented as they part and parcel of our description.
Date: 135 AH or 732 AD.
Mint: Al-Basra Iraq.
Size and weight: This is a dirham weighs ~2.8 grams and is ~24.5 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album #211, and listed in Al'Ush Catalog of Islamic coins preserved in the national museum of Qatar as #1376. It is also listed in Wilkes as 375.
Condition: I would grade this coin as a good fine. The coin has considerable wear but is still readable. The coin is toned with embedded soiling. Its flan is slightly bent as opposed to being completely flat. The coin also has a few scratches and bag marks in the field and shows wear throughout, but has no losses. Be that as it may the coin is very nice and would make a great addition to your collection. Please note the coin itself is much better than the photos suggest with legible calligraphy. A nice coin which would make a nice addition to your collection. Please see photos for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: Abbasid is an Arabic ruling dynasty, originally based in Madinat al-Salam (current day Baghdad) that expanded the Muslim empire and lasted from 750 Ad to 1258 AD. It was named for al-Abbas (566?-652), paternal uncle of the prophet Muhammad. ). Al-Saffah leaded the revolt against the Umayyad established and became the first Abbasid Caliph upon the overthrow of the Umayyad caliph in 132 AH / 749 AD. During the first century of the Abbasid rule the empire experienced a time of unprecedented cultural, artistic and economic development, particularly during the reigns of Harun al-Rashid (786-809) and his son al-Ma?mun (813-833).
