Item number: A1331

Year: AD 1318-1337

Material: Gold

Size: 31.1 x 31.5 mm

Weight: 4.62 g

Manufactured by: Tlemcen

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This is a gold dinar minted between AD 1318 and AD 1337 during the reign of Abu Tashufin I, the ruler of the Kingdom of Tlemcen in present-day Algeria, North Africa.

The overall design of the coin features two rectangular frames at the centre, surrounded by a beaded circle and a solid circular border as decoration. This design largely follows the coinage style of the Almohad dynasty in the Maghreb region of North Africa. The Arabic script used on both the obverse and reverse sides of the coin is a variant of Kufic calligraphy known as “Maghrebi,” which was widely popular in North Africa. The Arabic text within the rectangular frames may contain either the Shahada, a declaration of Islamic faith, or excerpts from chapters of the Qur’an familiar to Muslims.

The inscription on the outer perimeter of the obverse reads: “امير المؤمنين عبد الرحمن ابن الخلفاء الراشدين”, which translates to “Abd al-Rahman, Commander of the Faithful, son of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.” Here, “Abd al-Rahman” is the name of the ruler, followed by his title and honorifics. The inscription on the outer perimeter of the reverse reads: “مديته تلمسان”, which indicates the minting location as “The City of Tlemcen.”

In AD 1236, following the decline of the Almohad dynasty, which had once dominated the Maghreb region of North Africa, a Berber clan seized control of the significant commercial hub of Tlemcen. They established their own kingdom with Tlemcen as its capital. In AD 1318, Abu Tashufin I, who ascended to the throne by assassinating his father, became the fifth ruler of the Kingdom of Tlemcen.

During his reign, Abu Tashufin I sponsored the construction of the Tashfiniya Madrasa, which became one of the most significant religious schools in the region. In AD 1337, during the Siege of Tlemcen, Abu Tashufin I was killed by invading forces from the Marinid Sultanate of Morocco. The Kingdom of Tlemcen continued to exist until AD 1556, when it was annexed by the Ottoman Empire. Despite the Ottoman takeover, the city of Tlemcen remained an important minting centre for the region under Ottoman rule.

物件編號: A1331

年代: 公元 1318-1337 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 31.1 x 31.5 mm

重量: 4.62 g

製造地: 特萊姆森

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2024

這是一枚公元1318至1337年，北非阿爾及利亞的特萊姆森王國統治者阿布·塔舒芬一世鑄造的第納爾金幣。

錢幣的整體設計為正中央有兩道方框，周圍則分別以一道珠圈和實心圓作為裝飾，基本沿襲穆瓦希德王朝在北非馬格里布地區的錢幣風格。錢幣正反兩面使用的阿拉伯字體，為盛行於北非地區的庫法書法變體「馬格里布體」。方框內的阿拉伯文有可能是穆斯林熟悉的清真言或來自《古蘭經》的章節抄錄。

排列於正面外圍的銘文為「امير المؤمنين عبد الرحمن ابن الخلفاء الراشدين」其意思是「阿卜杜勒·拉赫曼，忠實者的指揮官，正確引導的哈里發之子」。阿卜杜勒·拉赫曼是統治者的名字，後面則是統治者使用的頭銜和尊稱。至於出現在反面外圍的銘文「مديته تلمسان」則是錢幣的鑄造地點「特萊姆森城」。

公元1236年，隨著一度主宰北非馬格里布地區的穆瓦希德王朝陷入衰敗，其中一支柏柏人氏族佔據北非重要的商貿重鎮特萊姆森，以此為首都建立自身的王國。於公元1318年，藉由謀殺父親登基為新任國王的阿布·塔舒芬一世，為特萊姆森王國的第五任統治者。

阿布·塔舒芬一世在任內贊助建立該地區最重要的宗教學校「塔什菲尼亞伊斯蘭學校」。於公元1337年的特萊姆森圍城戰中，阿布·塔舒芬一世遭到來自摩洛哥的馬林蘇丹國入侵者殺害。特萊姆森王國持續存在到公元1556年遭到鄂圖曼土耳其併吞為止，特萊姆森城在鄂圖曼土耳其時期持續扮演該地區重要的錢幣鑄造地。