Coin

Art Historical Context

This copper coin, dating to around 797 CE, is a modest yet profound artifact from the Islamic world, likely produced during the Abbasid Calate's flourishing era under caliphs like Harun al-Rid. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art department, it exemplifies early medieval numismatics—small-scale objects that powered trade across vast empires from Baghdad to beyond. Crafted from durable copper, the coin served everyday economic needs, circulating as a fals (a low-denomination piece) alongside silver dirhams. Islamic coinage of this period is artisti...