Islamic Cairo Egypt Tulunid Gold Coin Khumarawaih ibn Ahmed Dinar 276 AH / 890 AD Beautiful Very Fine++
Description: Gold dinar from Khumarawaih son of Ahmed bin Tulun, who ruled Egypt in the period 270-282 AH (884 - 896 AD). Khumarawaih is the second ruler of Egypt from the Tulunid dynasty. He followed his father, Ahmed ibn Tulun, whod instituted the Tulunid dynasty in Egypt during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tamid. This is a dinar, citing the name of Khumarawaih and the name of the caliph al-Mu'tamid on the obverse and has the name of the heir to the throne, al-Mufawwid on the reverse. The coin weighs about 3.9 grams and is about 23 mm in diameter. The coin shows the date of minting as 276 AH and the mint as Misr, current day Fustat on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The coin also clearly shows the name of Khumarawaih, al-Mu'tamid, al-Mufawwid, the date o0f minting, and the mint. This is a great looking and quality coin. Please note the coin is much better than the scan with very well defined and legible calligraphy. A definite quality coin to add to your collection. Please carefully review scan as it is part and parcel of our description.
Date: 276 AH or 889/890 AD.
Mint: Misr (al-Fustat) on the outskirts of current day Cairo the capital of Egypt.
Size and Weight: This is a dinar, most likely weighing ~ 3.9 grams and is ~23 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album #664.1 and is rated as scarce. It is listed in Bernardi as 193De. The coin is not listed in Lane Poole's Catalogue of Islamic Coins Preserved in the Khedivial Collection.
Historic Perspective: The Tulunids were the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt (868–905 AD), when they broke away from the central authority of the Abbasid dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate during that time. In the 9th century, internal conflict amongst the Abbasids meant that control of the outlying areas of the empire was increasingly tenuous, and in 868 the Turkic officer Ahmad ibn Tulun established himself as an independent governor of Egypt. He subsequently achieved nominal autonomy from the central Abbasids.
Khumarawaih took over after the death of his father Ahmed in270 AH. The young Tulunid achieved political and military gains, enabling him to extend his authority from Egypt into northern Iraq, and as far north as Tarsus by 890. Being now a prominent player in the Near Eastern political stage, he negotiated two treaties with the Abbasids. In the first treaty in 886, al-Muwaffakin recognized Tulunid authority over Egypt and the regions of Syria for a thirty-year period. The second treaty, reached with al-Mu?tadid in 892, confirmed the terms of the earlier accord. Both treaties also sought to confirm the status of the Tulunid governor as a vassal of the caliphal family seated in Baghdad.
Condition: I would grade this coin as a good very fine or much better. The coin is beautiful and very legible calligraphy. It is much better than the scan shows. It has some minor areas of flatness and shows a line representing a crack in the die on the obverse (where the name of Khumarawaih is evident). Please see photo for condition information as the photos are part and parcel of our description.
