Item number: A1339

Year: AD 1248-1266

Material: Gold

Size: 29.4 x 28.8 mm

Weight: 4.58 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This is a gold dinar minted by Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada, the 13th caliph of the Almohad dynasty, who reigned from AD 1248 to AD 1266 in the Maghreb region of North Africa.

The Almohad dynasty, founded by the theologian Ibn Tumart, who proclaimed himself as the Mahdi, emerged from a Berber background. In order to distinguish itself from the preceding Almoravid dynasty, the Almohad caliphate introduced reforms in coinage, becoming the first Islamic regime to incorporate rectangular shapes into coin designs. Numismatists believe that the adoption of rectangular motifs served not only as a political distinction but also as a reflection of Islamic religious beliefs. The rectangle symbolises the Kaaba in Mecca, one of the holiest sites in Islam, and represents the early period of Islam, specifically the “Rightly Guided Caliphs” era.

The obverse and reverse of this coin feature inscriptions in the softer Naskh script, replacing the more rigid Kufic script traditionally used in Arabic calligraphy. Around the rectangular outline on the obverse, the following titles of Murtada are inscribed in a counterclockwise direction, starting from the top: “امير المومنين المؤمن” (Commander of the Faithful), “بالله المرتضي ابو حفص” (By God, the Satisfied Abu Hafs), “ابن الامير الظاهر” (Son of Prince Al-Zahir), and “ابراهيم ب الخليفتين” (Ibrahim, son of the two caliphs).

Inside the rectangle, the five-line inscription contains the Tasmi and the Shahada prayer, arranged vertically from top to bottom. They read as follows: “بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم” (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), “صلى الله على محمد وأله” (May God bless Muhammad and his family), “والحمد لله وحده” (Praise be to God alone), “لا إله إلا الله” (There is no god but God), and “محمد رسول الله” (Muhammad is the Messenger of God).

Around the rectangular outline on the reverse, starting from the top and rotating counterclockwise, the following inscriptions appear: “امير المومنين” (Commander of the Faithful), “ابو يعقوب” (Abu Ya’qub), “يوسف ابن” (Yousef Ibn), and “الخليفه” (The Caliph).

Inside the rectangle, the five-line inscription is arranged vertically from top to bottom, and they read as follows: “المهدي امام الامة” (Mahdi is the Imam of the nation), “القائم بأمر الله” (The one who acts according to God’s command), “الخليفة الإمام” (Caliph Imam), “أبو محمد عبد المومن” (Abu Muhammad Abdul-Mumin), and “ابن علي أمير المؤمنين” (Ibn Ali, Commander of the Faithful).

During Murtada’s reign, the Almohad dynasty’s territory had been reduced to the region around Marrakech in Morocco, and it was forced to pay tribute to the rising Marinid dynasty. In AD 1266, Murtada was overthrown by his cousin Idris al-Wassiq, who was supported by the Marinid dynasty. However, in AD 1269, the Almohad dynasty was finally conquered by the Marinid dynasty, bringing an end to its rule.

物件編號: A1339

年代: 公元 1248-1266 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 29.4 x 28.8 mm

重量: 4.58 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2024

這是公元1248至1266年，活躍於北非馬格里布地區的穆瓦希德王朝第十三任哈里發阿布·哈夫斯·奧馬爾·穆爾塔達鑄造的金第納爾。

穆瓦希德王朝是柏柏人背景的神學家，自稱為馬赫迪的伊本·圖馬特創立的政權。為了跟前朝穆拉比特王朝作區分，穆瓦希德王朝對於錢幣的形制進行改革，成為將矩形融入錢幣設計的首個伊斯蘭政權。錢幣學家認為採納矩形圖案不僅是用作政治區分，更是融會伊斯蘭的宗教信仰。矩形在伊斯蘭世界是位於聖地麥加的天房意象，同時也代表伊斯蘭草創初期的「正統哈里發」時代。

這枚錢幣的正反兩面，以較為柔順的納斯赫體取代生硬的庫法體阿拉伯書法打印銘文。於正面的矩形輪廓外圍，從上方出發按照逆時針旋轉，分別打印穆爾塔達使用的頭銜：「امير المومنين المؤمن」(信士的長官)、「بالله المرتضي ابو حفص」(以真主之名，滿意的阿布·哈夫斯)、「ابن الامير الظاهر」(扎希爾王子之子) 和「ابراهيم ب الخليفتين」(兩位哈里發的易卜拉欣)。

矩形內部的五行銘文則是太斯米和清真言禱詞，從上而下，分別是「بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم」 (奉至仁至慈的真主之名)、「صلى الله على محمد وأله」(願真主賜福穆罕默德及其家族)、「والحمد لله وحده」(讚美唯獨真主)、「لا إله إلا الله」(萬物非主，唯有真主) 和「محمد رسول الله」 (穆罕默德是真主的使者)。

背面的矩形輪廓外圍，從上方出發按照逆時針旋轉，分別是「امير المومنين」(信士的長官)、「ابو يعقوب」(阿布·雅各布)、「يوسف ابن」(優素福·伊本) 和「الخليفه」(哈里發)。

矩形內部的五行銘文從上而下，分別是「المهدي امام الامة」(馬赫迪是國家的伊瑪目)、「القائم بأمر الله」(遵行真主旨令的人)、「الخليفة الإمام」(哈里發伊瑪目)、「أبو محمد عبد المومن」(阿布·穆罕默德·阿卜杜勒-穆民) 和「ابن علي أمير المؤمنين」 (伊本·阿里，信士的指揮官)。

穆爾塔達統治期間，穆瓦希德王朝的疆域已經限縮至摩洛哥的馬拉喀什一帶，並且被迫向後起之秀馬林王朝進貢。公元1266年，穆爾塔達遭到馬林王朝資助的表弟伊德里斯·瓦西格推翻。然而公元1269年，穆瓦希德王朝遭到馬林王朝征服結束其統治。