Islamic Gold Dinar Currency System

Timeline

1. c. 696–715Damascus · SyriaCaliph Abd al-Malik abolished the mixed Byzantine and Sasanian-style coinage, minting pure gold dinars and pure silver dirhams without images but inscribed with Quranic verses, establishing an independent monetary standard for the Islamic world.
2. 750–1000Baghdad · IraqThe Abbasid Caliphate standardized fineness and weight in Baghdad and at various mints; the gold dinar became the core settlement currency of Silk Road and Mediterranean trade, and influenced the gold and silver coin standards of Europe and the Indian subcontinent.
3. 1000–1500Various minting centers of the Islamic world · North AfricaAfter the decline of central authority, local sultanates minted their own coins; the gold dinar's name and weight standards were still retained but fineness and inscriptions varied, coexisting with competing currencies such as the Byzantine hyperpyron within the Mediterranean economic sphere.
4. 1900Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · MalaysiaSome Islamic countries and institutions promote initiatives using the gold dinar as a reserve or settlement unit, linking it to Islamic Sharia monetary ethics and de-dollarization discussions, forming a contemporary revival discourse.