Coin
Unknown Artist
dated A.H. 37?/ 98 CE ?
Medium
Silver
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.158
Art Historical Context
This silver coin, tentatively dated to A.H. 37 (circa 657 CE) or possibly 98, hails from the early Islamic world and invites visitors to ponder the fluid boundaries of ancient numismatics. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Islamic Art department, it a modest yet profound artifact—small in scale but rich in historical echoes. The question marks in its dating highlight the interpretive challenges of epigraphy and corrosion on ancient metalwork. Crafted from silver, a durable and prestigious medium ideal for trade across vast empires, this coin likely fu...