Coin
Unknown Artist
5th–14th century
Medium
Copper
Classification
Coins
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.127.610
Art Historical Context
This copper coin, hailing from the Islamic world between the 5th and 14th centuries, a tangible glimpse into the vibrant economic and cultural life of medieval Muslim societies. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1939 and now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Islamic Art, it the numismatic artistry that bridged vast empires—from the Umayyads to the Mongols. Crafted from durable copper, a practical medium for everyday transactions, such coins circulated widely across trade routes like the Silk Road, facilitating commerce in bustling bazaars from Baghdad to Cordoba. Islamic...