490

FATIMID: al-'Aziz, 975-996, AR ½ dirham (1.72g), Madina, DM, VF

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Islamic Coins - Egypt & Syria Start Price:700.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
FATIMID: al-'Aziz, 975-996, AR ½ dirham (1.72g), Madina, DM, VF
SOLD
3,000.00USD+ (600.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2023 Jan 26 @ 16:44UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
PLEASE NOTE: You must request a bid limit when you register. If you would like to have a large bid limit, you must provide adequate references, or you must have previously established strong credit history with our company. Late registration may result in delayed approval.
FATIMID: al-'Aziz, 975-996, AR ½ dirham (1.72g), Madina, DM, A-705, Nicol, the mint word "madina" or "madinat" is totally clear; without al- before, so it cannot be the simple name of the holy city in Saudi Arabia, always al-madina in Arabic with the article al-, but it can be the start of Madinat Rasul Allah or Madinat al-Rasul, both of which are known for Fatimid coins of al-Mustansir dated AH450-451; unpublished and unique, VF, RRRR. An alternative possibly is "madinat" followed by some other city name, such as "madinat sijilmasa" or "madinat sirakusa" or "madinat al-...", none of which are cited for the Fatimids by Nicol or on CoinArchives of Zeno. Fatimid control of Makka occurred in AH363, with the last pro-Abbasid coins struck there in 362 (type A-687N), and Fatimid gold dinars were struck at Makka for all years 363-366, the last in the name of al-'Aziz. It seems plausible that the mint on this coin is indeed related to the holy cities, most likely al-Madina, but also possible Makka itself. There are no Fatimid mints bearing the prefix "madinat" except the holy city in AH450-451, plus the Madinat Rasul Allah AH453 AV dinar in the British Museum, published by R.S. Poole in 1889 (BMC-164c).