Item number: A1341

Year: AD 946-960

Material: Gold

Size: 20.4 x 20.4 mm

Weight: 2.55 g

Manufactured by: Misr (Egypt)

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This is a gold dinar issued between AD 946 and AD 961 by Abu’l-Qasim Unujur, the second ruler of the Ikhshidid Dynasty, which governed Egypt.

The coin’s design closely imitates the style of the nominal overlord, the Abbasid Caliphate. The centre of the coin features a five-line Arabic inscription, arranged vertically from top to bottom, which reads: “لا اله الا” (There is no deity except), “الله وحده” (Allah alone), “لا شريك له” (without partner), “أبو القسم بن” (Abu Al-Qasim bin), and “الإخشيد” (Al-Ikhshidid).

The first three lines form the opening part of the Shahada, a declaration of Islamic faith familiar to all Muslims. The last two lines state the name and title of Unujur, linking him to his father, Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid. The title “Al-Ikhshidid” was originally granted to Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid by the Abbasid Caliph, referencing the title traditionally used for rulers of the Fergana Valley in Central Asia, the family’s ancestral homeland.

The coin’s outer edge contains two concentric inscriptions. The outermost ring features a verse from the Qur’an (30:4): “فِي بِضۡعِ سِنِينَۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَمِنۢ بَعۡدُۚ وَيَوۡمَئِذٖ يَفۡرَحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ” (All matters of the past and future are in the hands of God. The believers will enjoy the help of God on that Day).

The inner ring contains an inscription that references the Abbasid Caliph, underscoring the nominal suzerainty of the Abbasids. It also provides details about the coin’s minting, including the Hijri year and the mint location, specified as “Misr”—the Arabic term historically used for Egypt.

The reverse of the coin contains six lines of inscriptions arranged vertically, which are as follows (from top to bottom): الله (Allah), محمد (Muhammad), رسول (Messenger), صلى الله عليه (May God bless him), و على آله (And his family), and المطيع لله (The obedient to God). The first three phrases combine to form the second part of the Shahada: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

The surrounding inscription is a verse from the Qur’an (9:33): “هُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَرۡسَلَ رَسُوۡلَهٗ بِالۡهُدٰى وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ” (He it is who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, even though the polytheists may dislike it).

The Ikhshidid dynasty was established in AD 935 in Egypt by Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, a ruler of Turkic Muslim origin. In AD 946, Abu’l-Qasim Unujur succeeded the throne, but real power rested in the hands of the Black eunuch military commander Abu’l-Misk Kafur. Unujur passed away in AD 960 and was buried alongside his father at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Ikhshidid dynasty was eventually overthrown by the Fatimid Caliphate in AD 969, marking its end in history.

物件編號: A1341

年代: 公元 946-960 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 20.4 x 20.4 mm

重量: 2.55 g

製造地: 米斯爾 (埃及)

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2024

這是一枚公元946至961年，統治埃及的伊赫什德王朝第二任統治者烏努朱爾發行的金第納爾。

錢幣的設計高度模仿名義上的宗主國阿拔斯帝國風格。錢幣正中央有五行阿拉伯銘文，內容從上而下，分別是：「لا اله الا 」(萬物非主)、「الله وحده」(唯有真主)、「لا شريك له」(沒有能與之比肩)、「أبو القسم بن」(阿布·卡西姆·本) 和「الإخشيد」(伊赫什德)。前面三句是穆斯林熟悉的清真言前半段，後兩句是烏努朱爾的名字和統治頭銜。「伊赫什德」為烏努朱爾的父親穆罕默德·本·突格傑·伊赫什德向阿拔斯哈里發爭取的頭銜，是祖居地中亞費爾干納盆地的統治者頭銜。

錢幣周圍有兩道環形銘文，最外圈是《古蘭經30:4》「فِي بِضۡعِ سِنِينَۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَمِنۢ بَعۡدُۚ وَيَوۡمَئِذٖ يَفۡرَحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ」(於數年之間。以前和以後，凡事歸真主主持；在那日，信道的人將要歡喜)。內圈的銘文標示宗主國阿拔斯哈里發的名諱之虞，尚標示錢幣鑄造的回曆年份和鑄造地點為「米斯爾」，即阿拉伯世界對於埃及的古稱。

錢幣背面有六道銘文，從上而下，分別是：「الله」(真主)、「محمد」(穆罕默德)、「رسول」(使者)、「صلى الله عليه」(願真主保佑他)、「و على آله」(以及他的家族) 和「المطيع لله」(臣服於真主)。最前面的三句話合併一起，就是清真言後半段的內容「穆罕默德是真主的使者」。周圍的銘文出自《古蘭經9:33》「هُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَرۡسَلَ رَسُوۡلَهٗ بِالۡهُدٰى وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ」(他曾以正道和真教的使命委託他的使者，以便他使真教勝過一切宗教，即使以物配主者不願意)。

伊赫什德王朝是公元935年，突厥穆斯林背景的穆罕默德·本·突格傑·伊赫什德在埃及建立的政權。公元946年，烏努朱爾繼承王位但實權卻在掌握軍隊的黑人宦官艾卜勒·米斯克·卡夫爾的手上。公元960年，烏努朱爾歸真葬於父親於耶路薩冷聖殿山的陵墓。公元969年，伊赫什德王朝遭到法蒂瑪王朝征服走入歷史。