Coin
Unknown Artist
976–83
Medium
Silver
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.167
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silver coin, minted between 976 and 983 CE, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of medieval Islamic civilization. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Islamic Art department and acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939, it represents a standard medium of exchange during a dynamic era of caliphal rule and regional dynasties across the Middle East and North Africa. Crafted from silver—a precious metal prized for its durability and portability—the coin exemplifies the technical precision of Islamic minting practices. These dirhams or similar denominations circulated widely,...