133 / 166
Tyrants of the Tigris & euphrates
291
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar (6.12g), AH 611
al-Nasir, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 575-622/AD 1180-1225
SICA-4, 1231 var (date); A 268. Very Fine.
Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) mint (6,12gm), naming only the caliph al-Nasir. While a number of con-
temporary dynasties name al-Nasir on their coins, purely ‘Abbasid dinars naming only the caliph were
struck at Madinat al-Salam. Their weight ranges from under 3 to more than 20 grams. Some have in-
correctly seen multiple denominations but the various weights fall all across the spectrum. They are in
fact officially stamped ingots of random weight, which were valued in transactions by weight rather
than denomination.
The reign of the ‘Abbasid caliph al-Nasir (AH 575-622/AD 1180-1225) is marked by the initial Mongol
invasion of the Islamic world under Chingiz Khan, The first Muslim ruler to feel the wrath of the Mon-
gols was powerful Khawrazmshah ‘Ala al-Din Muhammad. Great cities such as Samarqand, Bukhara,
Merv, Nishapur, Herat were utterly destroyed, with a loss of population estimated between 12 and 14
million. Eventually even Baghdad itself would fall to the Mongols in a whirlwind of destruction. Ironi-
cally, there is evidence that the caliph al-Nasir may have actually invited Chingiz to attack his rival, the
Khwarizmshah.
292
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar (6.52g), AH 637
al-Mustansir, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 623-640/AD 1226-1242
SICA-4, 1275-1276; A 275. Extremely Fine.
Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) mint (6.52gm). Fancy quatrefoil containing Kalima, name and titles of
al-Mustansir, Qur’an 30:4 vertically in lobes right and left, mint and date in margin. Reverse, Fancy
quatrefoil with continuation of Kalima. In reverse margin, Qur’an 9:33, continuing into right and left
lobes of quatrefoil.