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TYRANT COLLECTION
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253
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar, AH 251
al-Musta’in, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 248-251/AD 862-866
Bernardi 161Qe; SICA-4, 570; A 233.2. Extremely Fine.
Samarqand mint. Kalima at center, double obverse marginal legends with Qur’an 30:4 in outer margin,
date formula in inner margin, the heir al-’Abbas cited below; Reverse, continuation of Kalima, “lillah”
above, al-Musta’in Billah below, Qur’an 9:33 in margin. Rare mint for this reign.
The reign of al-Musta’in (AH 248-251/ AD 862-866) falls within a seven-year period period known as
the “Anarchy of Samarra”, marked by extreme instability and the violent succession of four caliphs.
Turkish generals within the ‘Abbasid army were fully in control of the caliphal succession and the ca-
liphs themselves were little more than puppets of rival military factions.
254
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar, AH 253
al-Mu’tazz, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 251-255/AD 866-869
Bernardi 162Qe; SICA-4, 573-575; BMC IX, 348a; A 235.1. Superb Extremely Fine.
Samarqand mint. Kalima at center, double obverse marginal legends with Qur’an 30:4 in outer margin,
date formula in inner margin; Reverse, continuation of Kalima, “lillah” above, al-Mu’tazz Billah named
below, Qur’an 9:33 in margin. Rare mint for this reign.
Al-Mu’tazz, the son of al-Mutawakkil, reigned for 3 years (AH 251-255/AD 866-869). During his
reign, an opposition warlord in Sistan, Ya’qun ibn al-Layth, captured much of eastern and southern Iran,
even threatening Baghdad itself. The leader of Saffarids, Ya’qub posed a direct threat to Baghdad. When
the ‘Abbasid and Saffarid armies met, Ya’qub was defeated and withdrew from Iraq. After Ya’qub’s
death several years later, the Saffarids declined with their authority limited to Sistan as vassals of the
Samanids.