Coin
Unknown Artist
13th–14th century
Medium
Copper
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.230
Art Historical Context
This unassuming copper coin, dating to the 13th–14th century, offers a tangible glimpse into the vibrant Islamic world of the medieval period. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic department, it exemplifies the numismatic artistry that fueled trade, governance, and cultural exchange across empires from the Abbasids to the emerging sultanates. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939, such coins were everyday essentials, struck in copper for smaller transactions in bustling bazaars from Baghdad to Cairo. Copper's durability made it ideal for these low-denomination pieces, allowin...