Artheon MuseumArtheonMuseum

Coin

Unknown Artist

8th–9th century

Coin by Unknown Artist

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...

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