ABBASID.al-Mansur.(754-775).No Mint.155 AH.Dinar.

Obv : لا اله الا / الله و حده / لا شريك له(There is no god but / Allah alone / He has no partner.).
Arabic inscription in field.

Rev : محمد / رسول / الل(Muhammad / is the Messenger / of Allah).
Arabic inscription in field.
Album 212.

Condition : The coin is in excellent condition with a bright gold patina. The inscriptions are sharp and well-defined, showing minimal wear, and the patina gives it a radiant appearance.Extremely fine.

Material : Gold.
Axis : 9h

Weight : 4.17 gr
Diameter : 18 mm

The Abbasid dinar was a gold coin used by the Abbasid Caliphate, one of the most significant and long-lasting Islamic empires, which ruled from 750 to 1258 AD. The Abbasid dinar not only served as a medium of exchange in the vast and prosperous empire but also as a symbol of the caliphate’s political and religious authority.The Abbasid dinar continued the tradition of gold coinage in the Islamic world, initially established by the Umayyad Caliphate, which preceded the Abbasids. The first Islamic gold dinars were minted under the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in the late 7th century. The Abbasids inherited this system but made modifications to reflect their own religious and political ideology.The word dinar is derived from the Roman denarius aureus, which was a gold coin used in the late Roman Empire. In the Islamic world, the dinar became the standard gold coin, while the silver coin was called the dirham. The gold used in dinars was of high purity, often between 22-24 carats.

Abbasid dinars, like other Islamic coins of the period, featured no images of rulers or human figures, in keeping with Islamic traditions that discouraged the depiction of living beings. Instead, Abbasid dinars were characterized by their calligraphic inscriptions in Arabic, usually arranged in concentric circles or straight lines.The Islamic creed (Shahada): "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet." This statement was central to Islamic belief and was often prominently featured on the obverse of the coin.
The Caliph’s name or the ruling caliph's title, reflecting the political authority behind the coin.Coins often featured verses from the Quran that emphasized divine sovereignty and justice, reminding those who used the currency of the religious foundation of the state.The year of minting (based on the Islamic lunar calendar) and the location of the mint were often included on the reverse side, providing a historical record of where and when the coin was struck.

The central inscription contains the Islamic declaration of faith: “La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu” ("There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner").The reverse typically includes a continuation of religious or political phrases, as well as the mint location and the year of issue in the Islamic calendar.

The Abbasid dinar was a key component in the economic system of the Abbasid Caliphate, which stretched from Spain in the west to India in the east at its height. The dinar facilitated trade across this vast empire, which was one of the most prosperous and dynamic economies of the medieval world. The consistency and purity of the Abbasid dinar made it a trusted currency not only in Islamic territories but also in Europe and Asia.The Abbasids, through their well-regulated minting system, ensured that their coins maintained a high standard of weight and purity, which helped stabilize the economy. The dinar was used in international trade as far as Scandinavia, with Abbasid gold dinars discovered in Viking hoards, demonstrating the coin's wide circulation and significance.

Beyond its practical use as currency, the Abbasid dinar was a potent symbol of Islamic power and unity. The inscriptions, particularly the Shahada and Quranic verses, emphasized the religious foundation of the Abbasid rule and served as a constant reminder of the Caliphate's commitment to Islamic law and principles.The design of the dinar also reflected the Abbasid Caliphate's desire to distinguish itself from the preceding Umayyads. While the Umayyad dinars were similar in many ways, the Abbasids made subtle changes in design and inscriptions to reflect their distinct identity as leaders of the Islamic world, with the caliph claiming to be both a spiritual and temporal ruler.

The Abbasid dinar is a fascinating artifact from one of the most influential empires in Islamic history. Its inscriptions, design, and gold purity reflect both the religious devotion and political power of the Abbasid Caliphate. As a key element of the Abbasid economy, the dinar played a critical role in facilitating trade, not just within the empire but across the medieval world, and remains an enduring symbol of Abbasid cultural and economic prosperity.