Islamic Silver Dirham

Timeline

1. 901–1030Mints across the Islamic world · Islamic worldUnder the nominal authority of the Abbasid caliphs, the Fatimids, Buyids, Ghaznavids, and other polities each minted silver dirhams; the coins retained Islamic religious inscriptions and rulers' titles, with slight differences in fineness and weight but interoperable formats, supporting long-distance trade from Spain to Central Asia.
2. 1031–1040Nodes along the Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade routes · West AsiaIn this period, silver dirhams of Fatimid Egypt, Ghaznavid Khurasan, and the emerging Seljuk polity circulated side by side, with merchants settling trades in spices, silk, and slaves using silver coins. Archaeology of coin hoards shows dirhams found at Byzantine frontiers, Volga Bulgaria, and India's west coast, reflecting the monetary integration of the Islamic economic sphere.
3. c. 1040–1201Khurasan and Anatolia · Islamic worldAfter Seljuk expansion, large mints were established in Central Asia and Anatolia, and the dirham silver coin format became standardized, providing a model for subsequent Ilkhanid and Mamluk coinage. As a means of pricing and storage, silver coins continuously supported urban commerce and the pilgrimage economy of the Islamic world.