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ISLAMIC, Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, AV Dinar, Misr (Cairo) mint
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Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, Gold Dinar, 21mm, 4.12 g, Misr (Cairo) mint, dated AH 472 (AD 1079 / 1080)
The featured specimen is a lovely example and the most distinctive of the "bulls-eye" type coinage introduced by the Fatimid's. It is visually very striking and immediately grabs attention with its unusual legend arrangement and calligraphy. This coin is of the type first used by al-Mustansir Billah's great-great grandfather, al-Mu‘izz.
Obverse Legends
Inner circle
la ilah illa allah muhammad rasul allah
“no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God”
Middle circle
wa ‘ali afdal al-wasiyyin wa wazir khayr al-mursilin
“and ‘Ali is the most excellent of the caretakers and the vizier of the best of the messengers”
Outer circle
muhammad rasul allah arsalahu bi’l-huda wa din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ‘ala al-din kullihi wa law kariha al-mushrikun
“Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists detest it” Sura 9 (al-Tawba) v. 33
Reverse Legends
Inner circle
al-mustansir billah amir al-mu’minin
“al-Mustansir billah, Commander of the Faithful”
Middle circle
da’a al-imam ma’add li-tawhid illa lahu al-samad
“the Imam Ma‘add summons all to confess the unity of God the eternal”.
Outer circle
bism allah duriba hadha’l-dinar bi-misr sana ith'nain‘ wa sab'ain wa arba‘mi’a
“in the name of God, this dinar was struck in Misr the year two and seventy and four hundred”
Al-Mustansir’s sixty-year reign was one of the longest in the history of Islam. He was only seven years old at the time of his accession, but was led by his wazir Abu’l-Qasim al-Jarjara‘i until he was old enough to rule on his own.
During his reign new dynasties emerged, while others either disappeared from the scene or shifted their alliances. The Zirids in the Maghrib, for so long allies of the Fatimids, transferred their allegiance to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.
In 447 H (1055 AD) the Saljuq dynasty of Iran and Iraq took the place of the Buyids, who, in 334 (946), had brought an end to the Abbasids’ temporal power. For a short time the Fatimids took advantage of this situation.
Ever since their arrival in Egypt in 358 (969) they had coveted the city of Baghdad, and in 450 (1058) a Saljuq military officer by the name of al-Basasiri took up the Fatimid cause.
Using money and supplies provided by al-Mustansir, he marched into Baghdad while the Saljuq leader Tughril Beg was away, and had the khutba (the imam’s speech before Friday prayer) read and coins struck in al-Mustansir’s name.
This proved to be a brief adventure, for the next year al-Mustansir withdrew his financial support, and an angry Tughril Beg drove al-Basasiri out of Baghdad. When his successor Alp Arslan occupied Aleppo in 473 (1080) he caused the Fatimid caliph’s name to be omitted from the khutba in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
While there were internal disturbances and frequent wars throughout al-Mustansir’s long reign, Fatimid Egypt was well administered and prosperous, thanks to rich revenues and gold from Africa. Industry and agriculture thrived, and it was a time of intellectual, literary and artistic brilliance. It was then that the first university was established in the Muslim world, al-Ahzar, which is still active today.
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![ISLAMIC, Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, AV Dinar, Misr (Cairo) mint
Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, Gold Dinar, 21mm, 4.12 g, Misr (Cairo) mint, dated AH 472 (AD 1079 / 1080)
The featured specimen is a lovely example and the most distinctive of the "bulls-eye" type coinage introduced by the Fatimid's. It is visually very striking and immediately grabs attention with its unusual legend arrangement and calligraphy. This coin is of the type first used by al-Mustansir Billah's great-great grandfather, al-Mu‘izz.
[b]Obverse Legends[/b]
[i]Inner circle[/i]
la ilah illa allah muhammad rasul allah
“no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God”
[i]Middle circle[/i]
wa ‘ali afdal al-wasiyyin wa wazir khayr al-mursilin
“and ‘Ali is the most excellent of the caretakers and the vizier of the best of the messengers”
[i]Outer circle[/i]
muhammad rasul allah arsalahu bi’l-huda wa din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ‘ala al-din kullihi wa law kariha al-mushrikun
“Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists detest it” Sura 9 (al-Tawba) v. 33
[b]Reverse Legends[/b]
[i]Inner circle[/i]
al-mustansir billah amir al-mu’minin
“al-Mustansir billah, Commander of the Faithful”
[i]Middle circle[/i]
da’a al-imam ma’add li-tawhid illa lahu al-samad
“the Imam Ma‘add summons all to confess the unity of God the eternal”.
[i]Outer circle[/i]
bism allah duriba hadha’l-dinar bi-misr sana ith'nain‘ wa sab'ain wa arba‘mi’a
“in the name of God, this dinar was struck in Misr the year two and seventy and four hundred”
Al-Mustansir’s sixty-year reign was one of the longest in the history of Islam. He was only seven years old at the time of his accession, but was led by his wazir Abu’l-Qasim al-Jarjara‘i until he was old enough to rule on his own.
During his reign new dynasties emerged, while others either disappeared from the scene or shifted their alliances. The Zirids in the Maghrib, for so long allies of the Fatimids, transferred their allegiance to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.
In 447 H (1055 AD) the Saljuq dynasty of Iran and Iraq took the place of the Buyids, who, in 334 (946), had brought an end to the Abbasids’ temporal power. For a short time the Fatimids took advantage of this situation.
Ever since their arrival in Egypt in 358 (969) they had coveted the city of Baghdad, and in 450 (1058) a Saljuq military officer by the name of al-Basasiri took up the Fatimid cause.
Using money and supplies provided by al-Mustansir, he marched into Baghdad while the Saljuq leader Tughril Beg was away, and had the khutba (the imam’s speech before Friday prayer) read and coins struck in al-Mustansir’s name.
This proved to be a brief adventure, for the next year al-Mustansir withdrew his financial support, and an angry Tughril Beg drove al-Basasiri out of Baghdad. When his successor Alp Arslan occupied Aleppo in 473 (1080) he caused the Fatimid caliph’s name to be omitted from the khutba in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
While there were internal disturbances and frequent wars throughout al-Mustansir’s long reign, Fatimid Egypt was well administered and prosperous, thanks to rich revenues and gold from Africa. Industry and agriculture thrived, and it was a time of intellectual, literary and artistic brilliance. It was then that the first university was established in the Muslim world, al-Ahzar, which is still active today.](albums/userpics/32696/normal_Fatimids%2C_al-Mustansir_Billah%2C_Gold_Dinar%2C_21mm%2C_4_12_g%2C_Misr_%28Cairo%29_mint%2C_dated_AH_472_%28AD_1079%2C1080%29.jpg "Click to view full size image
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ISLAMIC, Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, AV Dinar, Misr (Cairo) mint
Fatimids, Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, Gold Dinar, 21mm, 4.12 g, Misr (Cairo) mint, dated AH 472 (AD 1079 / 1080)
The featured specimen is a lovely example and the most distinctive of the \"bulls-eye\" type coinage introduced by the Fatimid's. It is visually very striking and immediately grabs attention with its unusual legend arrangement and calligraphy. This coin is of the type first used by al-Mustansir Billah's great-great grandfather, al-Mu‘izz.
[b]Obverse Legends[/b]
[i]Inner circle[/i]
la ilah illa allah muhammad rasul allah
“no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God”
[i]Middle circle[/i]
wa ‘ali afdal al-wasiyyin wa wazir khayr al-mursilin
“and ‘Ali is the most excellent of the caretakers and the vizier of the best of the messengers”
[i]Outer circle[/i]
muhammad rasul allah arsalahu bi’l-huda wa din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ‘ala al-din kullihi wa law kariha al-mushrikun
“Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists detest it” Sura 9 (al-Tawba) v. 33
[b]Reverse Legends[/b]
[i]Inner circle[/i]
al-mustansir billah amir al-mu’minin
“al-Mustansir billah, Commander of the Faithful”
[i]Middle circle[/i]
da’a al-imam ma’add li-tawhid illa lahu al-samad
“the Imam Ma‘add summons all to confess the unity of God the eternal”.
[i]Outer circle[/i]
bism allah duriba hadha’l-dinar bi-misr sana ith'nain‘ wa sab'ain wa arba‘mi’a
“in the name of God, this dinar was struck in Misr the year two and seventy and four hundred”
Al-Mustansir’s sixty-year reign was one of the longest in the history of Islam. He was only seven years old at the time of his accession, but was led by his wazir Abu’l-Qasim al-Jarjara‘i until he was old enough to rule on his own.
During his reign new dynasties emerged, while others either disappeared from the scene or shifted their alliances. The Zirids in the Maghrib, for so long allies of the Fatimids, transferred their allegiance to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.
In 447 H (1055 AD) the Saljuq dynasty of Iran and Iraq took the place of the Buyids, who, in 334 (946), had brought an end to the Abbasids’ temporal power. For a short time the Fatimids took advantage of this situation.
Ever since their arrival in Egypt in 358 (969) they had coveted the city of Baghdad, and in 450 (1058) a Saljuq military officer by the name of al-Basasiri took up the Fatimid cause.
Using money and supplies provided by al-Mustansir, he marched into Baghdad while the Saljuq leader Tughril Beg was away, and had the khutba (the imam’s speech before Friday prayer) read and coins struck in al-Mustansir’s name.
This proved to be a brief adventure, for the next year al-Mustansir withdrew his financial support, and an angry Tughril Beg drove al-Basasiri out of Baghdad. When his successor Alp Arslan occupied Aleppo in 473 (1080) he caused the Fatimid caliph’s name to be omitted from the khutba in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
While there were internal disturbances and frequent wars throughout al-Mustansir’s long reign, Fatimid Egypt was well administered and prosperous, thanks to rich revenues and gold from Africa. Industry and agriculture thrived, and it was a time of intellectual, literary and artistic brilliance. It was then that the first university was established in the Muslim world, al-Ahzar, which is still active today.")
