Coin
Unknown Artist
probably 10th century
Medium
Silver
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.518
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silver coin, likely minted in the 10th, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world during a golden age of scholarship, trade, and empire-building. Belonging to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection—acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939 exemplifies the dirham, a standard silver currency that facilitated commerce across vast regions from Spain to Central Asia under dynasties like the Abbasids Buyids. Crafted with precision, the coin showcases the refined artistry of Islamic numismatics: fine Arabic calligraphy bearing inscriptions of rulers' names, religious phr...