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Abbasid Gold Dinar

Type Object Region West Asia Time c. 786–1258

The pure-gold dinar issued by the Abbasid dynasty was one of the most important standard currencies of the Islamic world;…

Timeline

  1. c. 786–809Baghdad · IraqCaliph al-Mahdi unified the weight and purity standards of gold coins, inscribing the shahada and other Quranic verses while removing ruler portraits, establishing the basic form of the Abbasid dinar and replacing previous dynasties' and local assorted coins.
  2. c. 801–900Cairo · EgyptAbbasid dinars circulated via Red Sea and Mediterranean trade routes to Egypt, the Maghreb, and Byzantine frontier zones, becoming the principal hard currency for long-distance trade and pilgrimage expenses, with mints elsewhere imitating their design.
  3. c. 870–900Samarra · IraqAfter al-Mu'tasim moved the capital to Samarra, mints in Baghdad and Samarra struck dinars in parallel; inscriptions changed with each caliph's succession, but weight and fineness standards remained stable.

Sources