Coin

Art Historical Context

This unassuming copper coin, minted between A.H. 141–50 (758–68 CE), offers a tangible glimpse into the early Abbasid Caliphate a golden age of Islamic expansion and cultural flourishing. Struck during the reign of caliphs like al-Mansur or al-Mahdi, it reflects the dynasty's shift from Umayyad rule, with Baghdad emerging as a new political and intellectual hub. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic collection—acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939—this artifact underscores the caliphate's vast economic across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. In the realm of Islamic ...