Artheon MuseumArtheonMuseum

Coin

Unknown Artist

9th–11th century

Coin by Unknown Artist

Medium

Copper

Classification

Coins

Department

Islamic Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Rogers Fund, 1939

Accession Number

39.40.127.608

Art Historical Context

This copper coin, dating to the 9th–11th century, hails from the Islamic world during the Abbasid Caliph's expansive era—a time of remarkable cultural and economic flourishing across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond Minted as a practical everyday currency known as a *fals*, it exemplifies the sophisticated monetary systems that fueled trade along the Silk Road and Indian Ocean routes, connecting distant regions through commerce and cultural exchange. Crafted from durable copper, the coin likely features finely engraved Arabic inscriptions rather than figurative imagery, adhering to I...

    Send Feedback

    We use this only to reply to your feedback.