Scarce Alexandria Egypt Ayyubid Gold Coin Salah al-Din Dinar 580 AH / 1184 AD VF
Description: A scarce very fine gold dinar from Salah al-Din (Saladin) the sultan who established the Ayyubid dynasty and ruled Egypt and Syria in the period 564-589 AH (1169 - 1193 AD). His full name being, Al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf and better known in the western world as Saladin. The coin cites al-Nasir Li=Din Allah (al-Imam Ahmed) as the Abbasid Caliph at the time. Both mint and date of minting are very clear and legible on the reverse. Please carefully review the scan presented as it part and parcel of our description.
Date: The coin shows the mint date as 580 AH or 1184 AD.
Mint: Al-Iskanadarya current day Alexandria Egypt's main seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.
Size and weight: This is a dinar, weighs ~4.2 grams and is ~19 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album #785.2 with a rarity rating of S, and is listed in Balog's Book on Ayyubid Coins as #53. The coin is listed in Lane Poole's Catalog of the Khedivial Collection as numbers 1316-1318 and in Mitchiner as 810.
Condition: I would grade this coin as very fine. This coin is much better than the scan shows with relatively well defined and legible calligraphy, although a bit hard to visualize and read. The coin has wear commensurate with its age and circulated state with areas where the letters are fully worn off. Be that as it may, this is definitely a nice coin. Please review scans for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: The Ayyubids were one of the great Islamic dynasties. The dynasty was founded by al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf I (Saladin) in AH 564/1169 AD and ruled in Egypt and Syria until falling to the Mamluks in the mid-7th century AH. The Ayyubids are of Kurdish origins. Saladin and his brother Shirquah were recruited among others by the Zangid Nur Al-Din. Shirquah gained control over Egypt from the Fatimids, and died almost immediately, leaving his nephew Salah El-Din Ibn Ayyub as his successor, and soon was recognized by his troops. Saladin (probably the most respected figure of the Middle Ages by both friends and foes) was the real founder of the Dynasty. With his victory at Hittin in 583 AH/ 1187 AD, the holy city of Jerusalem was liberated from the crusaders and great event in Muslim history. He extinguished the last Fatimids of Egypt and replaced the Isma’ili Shiism by a strongly Orthodox Sunni religious and educational policy.
Date: The coin shows the mint date as 580 AH or 1184 AD.
Mint: Al-Iskanadarya current day Alexandria Egypt's main seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.
Size and weight: This is a dinar, weighs ~4.2 grams and is ~19 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album #785.2 with a rarity rating of S, and is listed in Balog's Book on Ayyubid Coins as #53. The coin is listed in Lane Poole's Catalog of the Khedivial Collection as numbers 1316-1318 and in Mitchiner as 810.
Condition: I would grade this coin as very fine. This coin is much better than the scan shows with relatively well defined and legible calligraphy, although a bit hard to visualize and read. The coin has wear commensurate with its age and circulated state with areas where the letters are fully worn off. Be that as it may, this is definitely a nice coin. Please review scans for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: The Ayyubids were one of the great Islamic dynasties. The dynasty was founded by al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf I (Saladin) in AH 564/1169 AD and ruled in Egypt and Syria until falling to the Mamluks in the mid-7th century AH. The Ayyubids are of Kurdish origins. Saladin and his brother Shirquah were recruited among others by the Zangid Nur Al-Din. Shirquah gained control over Egypt from the Fatimids, and died almost immediately, leaving his nephew Salah El-Din Ibn Ayyub as his successor, and soon was recognized by his troops. Saladin (probably the most respected figure of the Middle Ages by both friends and foes) was the real founder of the Dynasty. With his victory at Hittin in 583 AH/ 1187 AD, the holy city of Jerusalem was liberated from the crusaders and great event in Muslim history. He extinguished the last Fatimids of Egypt and replaced the Isma’ili Shiism by a strongly Orthodox Sunni religious and educational policy.
