Coin
Unknown Artist
8th–9th century
Medium
Copper
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.372
Art Historical Context
This modest copper coin, dating to the 8th–9th century, a tangible glimpse into the vibrant world of early Islamic civilization. Minted during the Abbasid Caliphate—a golden age of Islamic expansion and cultural flourishing—these coins circulated widely across the empire, Baghdad to the edges of known world. As a common medium of exchange, copper fals like this one handled everyday transactions, reflecting the caliphate's sophisticated economy and administrative reach. Crafted through precise die-stamping techniques, the coin likely features Arabic inscriptions, including the caliph's name, m...