Coin

Unknown Artist

dated A.H. 370/ 980 CE

Coin by Unknown Artist

Medium

Silver

Classification

Coins

Department

Islamic Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Rogers Fund, 1939

Accession Number

39.40.127.145

Art Historical Context

This silver coin, minted in A.H. 370 (980 CE), offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of medieval Islamic numismatics. Produced during the Abbasid Caliph—a golden age of scholarship, trade, and cultural exchange—the coin reflects the economic backbone of an empire stretching from Spain to Central Asia. As a standard medium of exchange, silver coins like this one facilitated bustling markets in cities such as Baghdad and Samarra, underscoring Islam's emphasis on commerce and justice in trade. Crafted through precise hammering techniques, the likely features elegant Kufic calligraphy, a hallma...

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