Coin
Unknown Artist
819–1005
Medium
Copper
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.398
Art Historical Context
This copper coin, dating from 819 to 1005 CE, offers a tangible glimpse into the vibrant world of the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate and its successor states. Minted during a period of intellectual and economic flourishing—often called Islam's Golden Age—these coins circulated across a vast empire stretching from Spain to Central Asia. As everyday currency, they facilitated trade in bustling markets from Baghdad to Samarkand, embodying the interconnectedness of medieval Islamic civilization. Crafted in copper, a common medium for smaller denominations like the *fals*, this coin exemplifies the pre...